Prohibits counties from charging recording fees to volunteer first responders.
Summary
Senate Bill 4100 would prohibit county clerks and registers of deeds and mortgages from charging certain county recording fees to qualifying volunteer first responders. The bill defines a “volunteer first responder” broadly to include volunteer firefighters, volunteer first aid, emergency, ambulance, or rescue squad members, as well as other volunteers dispatched to motor vehicle accidents or other emergencies to provide medical care or assistance.
To receive the fee exemption, an individual would have to certify, in a form and manner set by the Director of the Division of Local Government Services in the Department of Community Affairs, that they served as a volunteer first responder within the previous 12 months. The bill amends and supplements existing law governing county recording fees, specifically N.J.S.22A:4-4.1, by creating an exemption from the fees otherwise charged by county recording offices.
Impact
The bill would reduce or eliminate recording-fee revenue collected by county clerks and registers of deeds and mortgages from eligible volunteer first responders, while creating a new statutory exemption within New Jersey’s county fee structure. It would also assign administrative authority to the Director of the Division of Local Government Services to establish the certification process used to verify eligibility. Counties with recording offices would need to adjust fee collection practices and procedures if the bill becomes law.
Sentiment
The available context shows no committee testimony, recorded votes, or formal opposition, so there is no documented legislative debate to gauge broad sentiment. Based on the bill’s purpose and sponsor statement, the measure appears intended as a supportive, pro-volunteer incentive for emergency service volunteers, suggesting generally favorable treatment toward first responders.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential areas of concern, if raised, would likely involve the loss of county fee revenue, the administrative burden of verifying eligibility, and the scope of the definition of “volunteer first responder,” but no legislator, committee member, or stakeholder is identified in the record as advancing those objections.