Senate Commerce Committee Statement to Senate, No. 3173 — State of New Jersey (March 16, 2026)

Summary

A Senate Commerce Committee statement to the Senate on Senate Bill No. 3173, State of New Jersey, dated March 16, 2026, reporting the bill favorably with committee amendments. As amended, the bill requires insurance companies named as defendants to be properly identified in actions for the recovery of damages, applying solely to insurance companies covering claims against uninsured or underinsured motor vehicles. During litigation or trial, such a company is to be referred to by its legal name rather than an assumed or fictitious name, and triers of fact are to be informed of the legal name. The bill applies to causes of action pending or filed on or after enactment and was prefiled for the 2026-2027 session.

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SENATE COMMERCE COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No.
3173

with
committee amendments

STATE
OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MARCH
16, 2026

The Senate Commerce Committee reports favorably and
with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 3173.

As amended, this bill requires defendants, including insurance companies named as
defendants, to be properly identified in a cause of action that is pending or
filed on or after the date the bill is enacted. This is to apply solely to
insurance companies covering claims against uninsured or underinsured motor
vehicles.

Under
the bill, defendants, including insurance companies named as a defendant, will
be required to be properly identified throughout litigation in actions for the
recovery of damages. During litigation or trial under the bill, an insurance
company named as a defendant will be properly referred to by the company’s
legal name and not by an assumed or fictitious name of the company. Triers of
fact will also be informed at trial of the legal name of the company.

This bill was prefiled for introduction in the
2026-2027 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the
changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS :

The committee amended the bill to:

(1) apply the proper identification requirement in the bill solely to
insurance companies covering claims against uninsured or underinsured motor
vehicles; and

(2) modify the effective date to note that the
provisions of the bill are applicable to causes of action pending or filed on
or after the date of enactment.

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