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Bill > A1340
NJ A1340
NJ A1340Requires Administrative Office of the Courts to collect and publish statistical information about consumer debt lawsuits.
summary
Introduced
01/13/2026
01/13/2026
In Committee
02/12/2026
02/12/2026
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
Introduced Session
2026-2027 Regular Session
Bill Summary
This bill requires the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) to collect and publish certain statistical information about civil consumer debt collection lawsuits in an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature. The statistics include: (1) number of new consumer debt lawsuits filed, including the number filed in the Law Division, the Special Civil Part, and the Small Claims Section of the Special Civil Part; (2) number of consumer debt lawsuits currently pending for three months or more; (3) number of consumer debt lawsuits where the defendant is represented by an attorney; (4) number of consumer debt lawsuit judgments granted, including the number of default judgments; (5) number of consumer debt lawsuit dispositions other than the granting of a judgment; and (6) any other statistics concerning consumer debt lawsuits that the Administrative Director of the Courts deems appropriate. Currently, the AOC publishes monthly civil case statistics on the Judiciary's website. While the statistics are broken down by certain case types, such as personal injury, landlord/tenant, and insurance, these statistics do not differentiate consumer debt collection cases. This bill implements Benchmarks 23 and 24 by the National Center for Access to Justice (NCAJ) at Fordham University School of Law, in its March 2024 report, "The Consumer Debt Litigation Index." According to the NCAJ, a basic understanding of the consumer debt litigation landscape through statistical reporting is required for court personnel, lawmakers, advocates, and communities to understand the scope of the problems in consumer debt claims litigation, and to solve or ameliorate these problems.
AI Summary
This bill mandates that the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC), which is the administrative arm of the court system, collect and publicly report specific statistical data on civil lawsuits filed to collect consumer debt, which includes actions to enforce contracts for consumer credit or to collect medical debt. The AOC will be required to compile and publish an annual report detailing the number of new consumer debt lawsuits filed across different court divisions, the number of cases pending for over three months, how many defendants in these cases have legal representation, the number of judgments granted (including default judgments), and the number of cases resolved without a judgment, along with any other relevant statistics the Administrative Director of the Courts deems appropriate. This initiative aims to provide a clearer understanding of the consumer debt litigation landscape for court officials, lawmakers, advocates, and the public, addressing a gap in current reporting which does not specifically differentiate these types of cases from other civil matters.
Committee Categories
Business and Industry
Sponsors (2)
Last Action
Reported out of Assembly Committee, 2nd Reading (on 02/12/2026)
Official Document
bill text
bill summary
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bill summary
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bill summary
| Document Type | Source Location |
|---|---|
| State Bill Page | https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/bill-search/2026/A1340 |
| Analysis - Statement ARP 2/11/26 | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A1500/1340_S1.PDF |
| Analysis - Technical Review Of Prefiled Bill | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A1500/1340_T1.PDF |
| BillText | https://pub.njleg.gov/Bills/2026/A1500/1340_I1.HTM |
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