Senator Sweeney, Assemblyman Burzichelli, and Assemblywoman Riley have made it one of their primary objectives to ensure that New Jersey consumers are not the victims of questionable business practices, and have introduced a number of measures intended to guarantee these protections.
- In an effort to strengthen the state’s gaming industry, legislation sponsored by Assemblyman Burzichelli would enable casino patrons to wager on casino games over the Internet. The bill was released from the Assembly Appropriations Committee in June 2012.
- Assemblyman Burzichelli and Assemblywoman Riley are also sponsors of the “Consumer Credit Fairness Act,” which would protect consumers and give them new rights from being harassed by a debt collection agency.
- Senator Sweeney and Assemblyman Burzichelli have sponsored legislation that would prohibit retailers from advertising the after-rebate price of an item, unless the amount of an available manufacturer’s rebate is provided by the retailer at the time the item is purchased. As of June 2012 the measure passed the Assembly and is currently awaiting consideration in the Senate Commerce Committee.
- In response to telecommunication issues from residents in rural areas, Assemblywoman Riley sponsored legislation that would require telecommunications companies to provide prorated refunds for service outages of periods longer than 24 hours.
- Assemblywoman Riley and Assemblyman Burzichelli are also the sponsors of a new law that allows consumers to redeem points earned from debit or rewards-card purchases made elsewhere – such as at supermarkets or other retailers – for reduced prices at the gas pump.
