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Committee approves bill letting municipalities ask AG to limit navigation apps when evidence shows emergency traffic conditions
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Summary
The Assembly committee released A3036, creating a process for municipalities to ask the attorney general to investigate—and, if justified, direct—navigation apps to stop routing traffic onto roadways causing emergency conditions.
The Assembly committee released A3036 as amended after considering testimony from municipal representatives and written submissions from industry stakeholders including Google and the navigation sector.
As amended, the bill—described by the sponsor as the Swift Access for Emergency Response (SAFER) program—allows a municipal governing body to adopt a resolution accompanied by supporting documentation requesting the attorney general to investigate whether turn-by-turn navigation systems have created an “emergency traffic condition” within the municipality. Any directive to navigation system providers would be subject to approval by and coordination with the commissioner of transportation and would be time limited and subject to annual review.
The sponsor read a lengthy statement into the record saying, in part, “This is a public safety bill. It's about making sure a fire truck can reach a burning home. An ambulance can reach a child in distress.” The sponsor emphasized the measure does not ban navigation apps or restrict physical road access and that navigation to hospitals and police stations would remain exempt.
Representatives of several technology and business groups, including Regina Apollon for Google and Elyssa Frank for the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, said they were opposed to the bill in its posted form and raised concerns about late amendments and operational impacts. Local government groups including the New Jersey State League of Municipalities were recorded in favor in the written record.
Committee members moved the bill with amendments and the release was carried on a recorded vote; the measure was released as amended for further consideration by the Legislature.
The committee record includes written positions from navigation companies, municipal leaders and law enforcement officials; sponsors and proponents said the bill is meant to be evidence-driven and narrowly targeted to documented emergency conditions caused by app routing.
