Sami's Law, For NJ Woman Killed By Fake Uber Driver, Passes House

ROBBINSVILLE, NJ — Bipartisan legislation in honor of Samantha “Sami” Josephson, the Robbinsville college student who was kidnapped and brutally murdered in 2019 by a man pretending to be her Uber driver, passed this week in the U.S. House of Representatives.

The bill is called Sami's Law in honor of the murdered young woman, and now awaits Senate approval and then President Trump's signature to be signed into law.

Rep. Chris Smith, the Republican congressman who represents Monmouth, Ocean and part of Mercer county, was the bill’s prime sponsor, meaning his office wrote the bill and argued for it to become law. Robbinsville is part of New Jersey's fourth congressional district, which Smith represents.

One of the most important parts of the law is that it will require Uber and Lyft to use an electronic access system, which will match drivers with passengers before the ride begins. Should the bill become law, no longer can any driver simply pull up and say "I'm your Uber driver."

Sami was born in Princeton and raised in Robbinsville. She was in her senior year at the University of South Carolina when she was killed in March 2019. She had received a free scholarship to attend Drexel University law school after she graduated. The man accused of killing her is Nathaniel David Rowland, 25.

Police say she mistakenly got into Rowland's car one night after thinking it was her Uber ride. The young woman was missing for hours before she was found more than 60 miles away, about 40 feet off a dirt road. Police say Samantha was stabbed to death.

Police say Rowland used the child-safety locks to keep her trapped inside his car.

Sami’s parents, Marci and Seymour Josephson, were instrumental in getting their daughter's law passed. After Sami was murdered, her parents started the "What's My Name?" movement, which educates young people about ride-share safety, including asking their driver to say their name before they get in the car. (This was before Uber and Lyft are now required to do the electronic verification, as required by the bill.)

“It’s bittersweet. It’s been emotional. We’d much rather have Samantha sitting with us here on the couch, but to create a law so nobody else gets hurt is a good thing," said her parents in a statement. "It’s a huge step to get it through the House. Now we need to get the Senate to act on it hopefully soon.”

Smith, a Republican, got the bill passed with strong bipartisan support from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and cosponsor Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY). Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was also key in getting the bill passed.

“After the heartbreaking murder of their daughter Samantha, Seymour and Marci Josephson turned their agony into courageous action to promote rideshare safety and education and to prevent future tragedies," said Speaker Pelosi this week. "Passing Sami’s Law is a fitting tribute to her memory, and it is critical to ensuring that rideshare companies have protections in place for the safety and well-being of all their passengers. I applaud the relentless advocacy of Congressman Chris Smith, along with Congressman Tom Suozzi, for crafting this important bill and ensuring its strong, bipartisan support on the House Floor.”

Both Uber and Lyft praised passage of Sami’s Law.

"We’re grateful for the leadership of Congressman Chris Smith, the support and collaboration of the Josephson Family and the commitment of congressional leadership on both sides of the aisle to pass 'Sami's Law,'" said Danielle Burr, head of Uber Federal Affairs.

"The Josephson family and Congressman Smith have worked tirelessly to champion Sami’s Law. Their determination has led to today’s passage in the US House of Representatives," said Lyft in a statement.

Initial Patch report: Samantha Josephson's Cause Of Death Revealed; Chilling New Video (April 2019)

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