2 NJ Laws Could Cost You Money If You Don't Act This Month

New Jerseyans face choices right now: If you don't have insurance, get it. And if you're sitting in car in the cold weather, don't let it run for than 3 minutes.

Otherwise, you could be forced to pay at least $250 or more in penalties.

New Jerseyans face these dilemas thanks to two laws – one of which took effect this year – that will likley apply to everyone as early as this month.

One of them applies to those who try to stay warm while sitting in their cars in December. Lawmakers are reminding New Jerseyans that running your vehicle as a way to stay warm for too long is not OK.

All vehicles may idle for up to 3 minutes or face a fine of at least $250, $500 for the second violation and $1000 for third and each subsequent violation.

Also, New Jersey earlier this year passed a law that restores the individual health insurance mandate, requiring everyone to obtain health insurance or pay a 2.5 percent tax on their household incomes.

The Obamacare enrollment period ends at midnight Saturday. But the law, which was signed in the spring, says that, beginning after Dec.31, individuals must be covered under minimum essential health insurance requirements.

Here is more information on each law:

Health insurance

Earlier this year, Gov. Phil Murphy signed legislation, A-3380, that restores the mandate - just for New Jerseyans – that everyone must obtain health insurance or pay a tax. Murphy took the step after Congress essentially gutted the federal Obamacare mandate in December 2017.

The mandate fee imposed by the law will be assessed and collected in the same manner as the income tax, with the commissioner of Banking and Insurance establishing a program for determining whether to grant exemptions for "religious conscience or hardship," lawmakers say.

The "New Jersey Health Insurance Market Preservation Act" was part of a two-bill legislative package, sponsored by Assembly members John McKeon, Carol Murphy and Pamela Lampitt, that lawmakers say will "protect New Jersey from President Trump's effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act and preserve the health care benefits provided by the law to the state's residents."

The new law maintains the viability of the individual mandate and establish a reinsurance fund to help stabilize the insurance market, the lawmakers say. The ACA has expanded health insurance coverage to more than 800,000 New Jersey residents, including some 340,000 who purchased policies through the individual market.

"President Trump's efforts to destabilize the health insurance market will only lead to higher costs for New Jersey residents unless we take common sense action to preserve the benefits the Affordable Care Act has been providing to our residents," said McKeon, D-Essex, Morris. "We cannot stand idle as our residents are put at risk. We fought long and hard to get more people insured in New Jersey, because it's both fiscally and socially responsible. We will continue that fight because it's the right thing to do."

Idling law

Under regulations updated in 2012, all vehicles may idle for up to 3 minutes with the following exceptions:

• They may idle for up to 15 consecutive minutes when the vehicle has been stopped for 3 or more hours and only if temperature is 25 degrees or below.
• Buses may idle while actively discharging or picking up passengers for 15 consecutive minutes in a 60-minute period
• No idling is allowed in a parking space with available and functioning electrification technology

Three-minute idling limit does NOT apply to:

• Motor vehicles stopped in traffic
• Motor vehicles whose primary power source is utilized in whole or in part for necessary and prescribed mechanical operations such as refrigeration units for perishable loads, hydraulic lifts, “cherry pickers”, or similar equipment
• Motor vehicles waiting to be examined by state or federal motor vehicle inspectors or motor vehicles while being repaired
• Vehicles that are actively performing emergency services, such as fire, police, snow removal, and utility vehicles
• Operation of auxiliary or alternate power systems for cabin comfort.
• A motor vehicle with a sleeper berth, equipped with a 2007 or newer engine, or has been retrofitted with a diesel particulate filter while the driver is resting or sleeping in the sleeper berth. Other idling is still prohibited.

Governor Murphy photo