Committee releases amended elevator mechanics reciprocity bill after contested testimony over inspectors and safety

The Senate Commerce Committee released Senate Bill 2834, which revises licensure requirements for elevator, escalator and moving-walkway mechanics to allow the licensing board to grant licenses without examination to applicants with comparable out-of-state licenses, even where the other state does not provide reciprocity to New Jersey licensees. Proposed committee amendments create a limited license that excludes new-construction work.

Mary Kay Roberts, representing the Joint Apprentice Training Committee of the elevator industry, and Gary Mosley of the Elevator Industry Association said the amendment is a compromise to address a local shortage of licensed mechanics and prevent delays in inspections and modernization projects. Mosley warned of service delays and public-safety consequences, noting that some modernization returns can take up to six weeks. "There's only 1 inspector for Newark, 2 for Jersey City, and 2 for Hoboken," he said, describing inspection bottlenecks that affect hospitals and senior housing.

Opponents from the International Union of Elevator Constructors argued the bill "targets the wrong part of the regulatory system" by changing mechanics reciprocity rather than expanding inspector capacity. Dennis Gildoff, a union business agent, said the proposal "does not solve that problem" and risks weakening New Jersey standards by importing differing out-of-state training and enforcement models.

Committee members acknowledged the inspector shortage and discussed parallel proposals to grow inspector capacity, registry creation and training pipelines. Lawmakers released the bill as amended and urged sponsors and stakeholders to continue negotiating narrowly tailored language that addresses inspection capacity without diluting licensing standards for mechanics.

The committee record shows a motion to amend and release the bill; the motion carried on roll call.