Phone: 732-256-9646

Mon-Fri: 9:00am – 5:00pm

Cash – Credit Pricing

214th Legislature (2010-2011)

S-847
Summary: Requires signs posted by retail motor fuel dealers to indicate motor fuel prices for cash and credit card customers; establishes additional $1,000 penalty for violations.
Status: Signed into Law
Sponsors:
Senator Shirley Turner (D-Mercer)

Senator Diane Allen (R-Burlington)

Cosponsors
:
Senator Linda Greenstein (D-Middlesex)

Click here to view the original bill text

LEGISLATIVE ACTION: This was the latest incarnation of a bill which Senator Turner had introduced in the previous two sessions, but had never been enacted.  This bill sought to ensure that motor fuel retailers who use cash/credit pricing display that there are different prices for cash and credit on both the street sign and on the pump, and that the prices match.  It also established a fine for violations.  However, this already existed in practice because it was a regulation from the state Department of Weights & Measures.  For this reason, NJGCA had no problem with the spirit of this bill.  However, under the original language which would have effectively fined retailers in violation twice, $1,500 for violating the regulation and $1,000 for violating the statute.  When the bill came up in the Senate Transportation Committee on January 20, 2011 Executive Director Sal Risalvato testified and explained the problem with the bill as written.  Senator Turner was happy to have it amended so that the only fine levied was the $1,500 one that was currently levied.

Click here to read the testimony presented to the committee

Click here to listen to the audio testimony that NJGCA Executive Director Sal Risalvato presented to the Committee

 

Once it was amended by the Committee, a vote was held.  The bill, as amended, was passed by the Committee by a 5-0 vote with the support of NJGCA and our allies the Fuel Merchants Association.  Voting results below:

Senator Nick Sacco (D-Hudson) (Chair) –Yes
Senator John Girgenti (D-Passaic) –Yes
Senator Bob Gordon (D-Bergen) –Yes
Senator Andrew Ciesla (R-Ocean) –Yes
Senator Sean Kean (R-Monmouth) –Yes

Click here to read the bill, as amended

On March 21, 2011 the bill was passed by the State Senate by a 34-1 vote.  Voting results below:

Name

County

District

Party

S-847

Jeff Van Drew

Cape May

1

D

Yes

Jim Whelan

Atlantic

2

D

Yes

Steve Sweeney

Gloucester

3

D

Yes

Fred Madden

Gloucester

4

D

Yes

Donald Norcross

Camden

5

D

Yes

Jim Beach

Camden

6

D

Yes

Diane Allen

Burlington

7

R

Yes

Dawn Marie Addiego

Burlington

8

R

Yes

Christopher Connors

Ocean

9

R

Yes

Andrew Ciesla

Ocean

10

R

NV

Sean Kean

Monmouth

11

R

Yes

Jen Beck

Monmouth

12

R

Yes

Joe Kyrillos

Monmouth

13

R

NV

Linda Greenstein

Middlesex

14

D

Yes

Shirley Turner

Mercer

15

D

Yes

Christopher “Kip” Bateman

Somerset

16

R

Yes

Bob Smith

Middlesex

17

D

NV

Barbara Buono

Middlesex

18

D

Yes

Joe Vitale

Middlesex

19

D

Yes

Ray Lesniak

Union

20

D

NV

Tom Kean

Union

21

R

Yes

Nick Scutari

Union

22

D

Yes

Mike Doherty

Warren

23

R

No

Steve Oroho

Sussex

24

R

Yes

Anthony R. Bucco

Morris

25

R

Yes

Joe Pennachio

Morris

26

R

Yes

Dick Codey

Essex

27

D

Yes

Ron Rice

Essex

28

D

Yes

Teresa Ruiz

Essex

29

D

Yes

Bob Singer

Ocean

30

R

Yes

Sandra Cunningham

Hudson

31

D

Yes

Nick Sacco

Hudson

32

D

Yes

Brian Stack

Hudson

33

D

Yes

Nia Gill

Essex

34

D

Yes

John Girgenti

Passaic

35

D

Yes

Paul Sarlo

Bergen

36

D

Yes

Loretta Weinberg

Bergen

37

D

Yes

Bob Gordon

Bergen

38

D

Yes

Gerald Cardinale

Bergen

39

R

Yes

Kevin O’Toole

Essex

40

R

NV

A-3862
Summary: Requires signs posted by retail motor fuel dealers to indicate motor fuel prices for cash and credit card customers.
Status: Signed into law
Sponsors:
Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson)
Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson)
Assemblyman Jack Conners (D-Camden)
Assemblyman Paul Moriarity (D-Gloucester)
Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer)
Co-Sponsors:
Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington)

Assemblyman Gilbert Wilson (D-Camden)
Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden)
Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester)

Click here to view the original bill text

It was expected that this bill, the Assembly version of S-847, would be identical to the Senate version and pass overwhelmingly.  Unfortunately, life and especially politics is never that simple.  When the bill came before the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee, the sponsor Assemblyman Prieto asked that the bill be amended to require that the separate price for cash and credit be posted for every grade of gasoline sold, meaning retailers who use cash/credit pricing would have to have up to eight different prices on their street sign.  This would have meant that most would have had to purchase a brand new sign for several thousand dollars or the lettering on the sign would be so small that it would be near impossible for a customer in a moving vehicle to read it safely.  The amended bill snuck through committee.  Voting results below:

Assemblyman Paul Moriarity (D-Gloucester) (Chair) –Yes
Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester) –Yes
Assemblyman Patrick Diegnan (D-Middlesex) –Yes
Assemblyman Jon Bramnick (R-Union) –Yes
Assemblyman Domenick DiCicco (R-Gloucester) –Yes 

Click here to read the bill, as amended

NJGCA and our allies in the Fuel Merchants Association went to the mat to prevent this bill from being passed in the Assembly as it was amended.  Twice it was scheduled for a vote and twice it was pulled until eventually, in December 2011 Assemblyman Prieto agreed to drop his disastrous amendment and replace A-3862 with S-847.  With NJGCA’s approval, the Assembly overwhelmingly passed the bill and the Governor signed it into law on January 9, 2012.  Voting results below:

Name

County

District

Party

S-847

Nelson Albano

Cumberland

1

D

Yes

Matt Milam

Cumberland

1

D

Yes

John Amodeo

Atlantic

2

R

Yes

Vince Polistina

Atlantic

2

R

Yes

John Burzichelli

Gloucester

3

D

Yes

Celeste Riley

Cumberland

3

D

Yes

Domenick DiCicco

Gloucester

4

R

NV

Paul Moriarity

Gloucester

4

D

NV

Angel Fuentes

Camden

5

D

Yes

Gilbert “Whip” Wilson

Camden

5

D

Yes

Lou Greenwald

Camden

6

D

Yes

Pamela Lampitt

Camden

6

D

Yes

Herb Conaway

Burlington

7

D

Yes

Troy Singleton

Burlington

7

D

Yes

Scott Rudder

Burlington

8

R

NV

Gerry Nardello

Burlington

8

R

Yes

DiAnne Gove

Ocean

9

R

Yes

Brian Rumpf

Ocean

9

R

Yes

Jim Holzapfel

Ocean

10

R

NV

David Wolfe

Ocean

10

R

Yes

Mary Pat Angelini

Monmouth

11

R

Yes

Dave Rible

Monmouth

11

R

Yes

Caroline Casagrande

Monmouth

12

R

Yes

Declan O’Scanlon

Monmouth

12

R

Yes

Sam Thompson

Middlesex

13

R

Yes

Amy Handlin

Monmouth

13

R

Yes

Wayne DeAngelo

Mercer

14

D

Yes

Dan Benson

Mercer

14

D

Yes

Reed Gusciora

Mercer

15

D

NV

Bonnie Watson Coleman

Mercer

15

D

Yes

Jack Ciattarelli

Somerset

16

R

Yes

Denise Coyle

Somerset

16

R

NV

Upendra Chivukula

Somerset

17

D

Yes

Joe Egan

Middlesex

17

D

Yes

Patrick Diegnan

Middlesex

18

D

Yes

Peter Barnes

Middlesex

18

D

Yes

John Wisniewski

Middlesex

19

D

Yes

Craig Coughlin

Middlesex

19

D

Yes

Joe Cryan

Union

20

D

Yes

Annette Quijano

Union

20

D

Yes

Jon Bramnick

Union

21

R

Yes

Nancy Munoz

Union

21

R

Yes

Linda Stender

Union

22

D

Yes

Jerry Green

Union

22

D

Yes

Erik Peterson

Hunterdon

23

R

Yes

John DiMaio

Warren

23

R

Yes

Gary Chiusano

Sussex

24

R

Yes

Alison Littell McHose

Sussex

24

R

Yes

Michael Patrick Carroll

Morris

25

R

Yes

Anthony M. Bucco

Morris

25

R

Yes

Alex DeCroce

Morris

26

R

Yes

Jay Webber

Morris

26

R

Yes

John McKeon

Essex

27

D

Yes

Mila Jasey

Essex

27

D

Yes

Ralph Caputo

Essex

28

D

Yes

Cleopatra Tucker

Essex

28

D

Yes

L. Grace Spencer

Essex

29

D

Yes

Albert Couthino

Essex

29

D

Yes

Ronald Dancer

Ocean

30

R

Yes

Joe Malone

Burlington

30

R

Yes

Charles Mainor

Hudson

31

D

Yes

Jason O’Donnell

Hudson

31

D

Yes

Vincent Prieto

Hudson

32

D

Yes

Joan Quigley

Hudson

32

D

NV

Ruben Ramos

Hudson

33

D

Yes

Vacant

33

Sheila Oliver

Essex

34

D

Yes

Tom Giblin

Essex

34

D

NV

Nellie Pou

Passaic

35

D

Yes

Elease Evans

Passaic

35

D

Yes

Gary Schaer

Passaic

36

D

Yes

Kevin Ryan

Essex

36

D

Yes

Valerie Vaineri Huttle

Bergen

37

D

Yes

Gordon Johnson

Bergen

37

D

Yes

Connie Wagner

Bergen

38

D

Yes

Joan Voss

Bergen

38

D

Yes

Charlotte Vandervalk

Bergen

39

R

Yes

Robert Schroeder

Bergen

39

R

Yes

Scott Rumana

Passaic

40

R

Yes

David Russo

Bergen

40

R

Yes

Click here to read the Pamphlet Law

 

A-3191
Summary: Prohibits retail dealer from charging in excess of five cents more per gallon for credit purchase of fuel than for cash purchase; requires certain price disclosures.
Status: Expired
Sponsors:
Assemblyman Charles Mainor (D-Hudson)
Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D-Passaic)
Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson)
Cosponsors:
Assemblyman Angel Fuentes (D-Camden)
Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer)
Assemblyman Vincent Prieto (D-Hudson)
Assemblyman Jason O’Donnell (D-Hudson)

Assemblyman Herb Conaway (D-Burlington)

Click here to view the bill text

 

S-2363

Summary: Prohibits retail dealer from charging in excess of five cents more per gallon for credit purchase of fuel than for cash purchase; requires certain price disclosures.

Status: Expired

Sponsor: Senator Jeff Van Drew (D-Cape May)

 

Click here to view the bill text

 

A-3376

Summary: Prohibits retail motor fuel dealer from charging a credit card customer in excess of four percent of purchase price for same fuel to customer paying by cash.

Status: Expired

Sponsor: Assemblyman Craig Coughlin (D-Middlesex)

 

Click here to view the bill text

 

S-2325

Summary: Prohibits retail motor fuel dealer from charging a credit card customer in excess of four percent of purchase price for same fuel to customer paying by cash.

Status: Expired

Sponsor: Senator Joe Vitale (D-Middlesex)

Senator Jim Whelan (D-Atlantic)

Cosponsors: Senator Ron Rice (D-Essex)

Senator Nick Sacco (D-Hudson)

 

Click here to view the bill text

 

A-3427

Summary: Prohibits retail motor fuel dealer from charging customer more for debit card purchase of fuel than for cash purchase.

Status: Expired

Sponsor: Assemblyman Charles Mainor (D-Hudson)

Assemblywoman Elease Evans (D-Passaic)

Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt (D-Camden)

Assemblyman Ralph Caputo (D-Essex)

Cosponsors: Assemblyman Scott Rudder (R-Burlington)

Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D-Mercer)

Assemblyman John Burzichelli (D-Gloucester)

Assemblyman John McKeon (D-Essex)

Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-Mercer)

Assemblyman Ruben Ramos (D-Hudson)

 

Click here to view the bill text

 

213th Legislature (2008-2009)

A-2909

Summary: Prohibits retail dealer from selling or offering to sell motor fuel at different price to cash and credit customers.

Status: Withdrawn from files

Sponsor: Assemblyman Neil Cohen (D-Union)

Click here to view the bill text