A5509 —

A5509 1RAJU [FirstStatement Reprint]12/9/21 ASSEMBLY JUDICIARY COMMITTEE   STATEMENT TO   ASSEMBLY, No.

5509 STATE  OFwith NEWcommittee JERSEYamendments 219th LEGISLATURE   INTRODUCEDSTATE MARCHOF 17,NEW 2021JERSEY    DATED: Sponsored by:

Assemblyman  DECEMBER ANDREW9, ZWICKER2021 District  16      (Hunterdon,The Mercer,Assembly MiddlesexJudiciary andCommittee Somerset)reports Assemblywoman favorably VERLINAand REYNOLDS-JACKSONwith Districtcommittee 15amendments (HunterdonAssembly andBill Mercer)No. Assemblyman  ANTHONY S.

VERRELLI5509. District 15 (Hunterdon and Mercer)   Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywomen      McKnight,This Vainieribill, Huttle,as Jasey,amended, Murphy,provides Assemblymenthat Freiman,in Wimberlyany andcivil Assemblywomanaction Downeyarising  from       SYNOPSIS      Provides that in personal injury or wrongful deathdeath, lawsuits,any estimations, measures, or calculations of damages for lost earnings or impaired earningsearning capacity shall not be reduced because of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity or expression, or affectional or sexual orientation.orientation, as those terms are defined or interpreted under the “Law Against Discrimination,” P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.).

       CURRENTThe VERSIONbill OFas TEXTamended     provides Asthat reportedin byany thesuch Assemblycivil Judiciaryaction, Committeedetermination onof Decemberdamages 9,shall 2021,not withbe amendments.based upon statistical tables alone unless agreed to by all parties in the civil action.

       AnThe Actcommittee concerningamendments also provide that the calculationsbill ofwould certainapply damagesprospectively inonly to civil actions andcommenced supplementingon Titleor 2Aafter of the Newbill’s Jerseyeffective Statutes.date.

      COMMITTEE BeAMENDMENTS: It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

       1.   (1)   a. Remove Inthe 1[a]bill’s any1reference civilto action“past, arising from personal injury or wrongful death, any estimations, measures, or calculations of 1[past, present, or future]1future” damagesdamages; for lost earnings or impaired earning capacity shall not be reduced because of race, ethnicity, 1[or]1 gender 1, gender identity or expression, or affectional or sexual orientation, as those terms are defined or interpreted under the “Law Against Discrimination,” P.L.1945, c.169 (C.10:5-1 et seq.)1.

     b. (2)   InAdd anygender suchidentity civilor action,expression, 1[anyand reduction]affectional determination1or ofsexual damagesorientation, 1shallas notdefined be1under basedthe uponLAD, statistical tables alone 1[shall be deemed to be against the publicprovisions policy of thisthe State]bill’s unlessban agreedon toreduction byof alldamages partiesfor inlost theearnings civilor action1.impaired earning capacity;

       2.   (3)   ThisProvide actthat shalldetermination takeof effectdamages immediatelyshall 1andnot shallbe applybased onlyupon tostatistical civiltables actionsalone commencedunless onagreed orto afterby theall effectiveparties datein ofthe thiscivil act1.action;

     (4)   Remove the  provision that reduction of damages based upon statistical tables alone shall be deemed to be against the public policy of this State;

     (5)   Make the bill apply prospectively only to civil actions commenced on or after the bill’s immediate effective date;

and          (6)   Update the synopsis of the bill to reflect the bill’s provisions based upon the changes made by the amendments.