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A3256 • 2026

Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.

Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Hutchison, Dan
Last action
2026-05-18
Official status
Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.

Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.
  • Topic: Commerce Fiscal note: This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-18 New Jersey Legislature

    Passed by the Assembly (74-0-1)

  2. 2026-05-18 New Jersey Legislature

    Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee

  3. 2026-02-12 New Jersey Legislature

    Reported out of Assembly Comm. with Amendments, 2nd Reading

  4. 2026-01-13 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced, Referred to Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to patrons.
Topic:
Commerce
Fiscal note:
This bill has been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
A3256 1R

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 3256

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman DAN HUTCHISON

District 4 (Atlantic, Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman MICHAEL VENEZIA

District 34 (Essex)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblyman Miller, Assemblywoman Reynolds-Jackson,
Assemblyman Stanley, Assemblywoman Quijano, Assemblymen Karabinchak,
Scharfenberger, Assemblywomen Brennan, Speight, Morales and Haider

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires restaurant to disclose mandatory gratuity to
patrons.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As reported by the Assembly Consumer Affairs
Committee on February 12, 2026, with amendments.

��

An Act
concerning mandatory gratuities at restaurants and
supplementing
Title 56 of the Revised Statutes
.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� A person shall not
charge a mandatory gratuity in a restaurant without disclosing, in a prominent
manner, the gratuity on the menu, at the entrance of the restaurant, on a
patron�s bill, and if applicable, on the restaurant�s website.

���� b.���
A person who violates the provisions of this bill
shall be subject to a civil penalty of $1,000 for the first offense, $2,500 for
the second offense, and $5,000 for the third and each subsequent offense.� Each
day on which a violation occurs shall constitute a separate and distinct
offense.� A penalty imposed pursuant to this section shall be collected in a
civil action by a summary proceeding under the �Penalty Enforcement Law of
1999,� P.L.1999, c.274 (C.2A:58-10 et seq.).� The Superior Court shall have jurisdiction
of proceedings for the enforcement of the penalty provided by this section
.

����� 2.�� This
act shall take effect on the first day of the
1
[
third
]

seventh
1
month next following the date of enactment.