This bill amends New Jersey law to criminalize the use of signal jammers, which are devices designed to block or interfere with authorized radio communications. Under the proposed legislation, it would be classified as a crime of the fourth degree to interfere with any radio communications of stations licensed or authorized by federal law or operated by the U.S. government. Additionally, the bill prohibits the use of scanning receivers that can receive or be modified to receive cellular telecommunications frequencies, or that are equipped to convert digital cellular transmissions to analog audio.

The bill updates existing law by adding new provisions that specifically address these forms of interference, thereby enhancing the legal framework surrounding radio communications in New Jersey. The current law already makes it a crime to make unauthorized radio transmissions or cause interference with licensed radio stations, and this bill expands those prohibitions to include signal jammers and related devices. The intent is to align state law with federal regulations, which already deem such devices illegal.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 2C:33-23.1, 2C:33-23.2