This bill aims to criminalize the use of signal jammers in New Jersey, aligning state law with existing federal regulations that already prohibit such devices. Signal jammers, which can disrupt authorized radio communications, pose significant risks by preventing cell phone usage, blocking Wi-Fi connections, and hindering GPS functionality, potentially endangering emergency response efforts. The bill amends current law to include new provisions that make it a crime of the fourth degree to interfere with radio communications of federally licensed stations or to use scanning receivers that can access cellular frequencies without authorization.

Specifically, the bill introduces several new legal definitions and prohibitions, including the interference with radio communications authorized by federal law and the use of scanning receivers capable of receiving cellular transmissions. The existing law's language is modified to reflect these additions, ensuring that violations of these provisions are treated as a crime of the fourth degree. The bill is set to take effect immediately upon passage.

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