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S3865 • 2026

"Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act."

"Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act."

Healthcare
Passed Legislature

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

Sponsor
Wimberly, Benjie E.
Last action
2026-03-10
Official status
Introduced 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.

"Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act."

"Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act." Topic: Commerce Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

What This Bill Does

  • "Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act." Topic: Commerce Fiscal note: This bill has not 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. 2026-03-10 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee

Official Summary Text

"Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act."
Topic:
Commerce
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
S3865

SENATE, No. 3865

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� BENJIE E. WIMBERLY

District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)

SYNOPSIS

���� "Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

concerning certain debt executions and
supplementing Title 2A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

���� 1.��� This act shall be known
and may be cited as the �Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act.�

���� 2.��� The Legislature finds
and declares that:

���� a.���� Medical debt is a
significant financial burden for many individuals and families that often leads
to bankruptcy and the potential loss of the debtor�s home.

���� b.��� The loss of a home
exacerbates the distressing situation currently facing individuals and families
filing for bankruptcy due to unpaid medical bills.

���� c.���� It is in the public
interest to establish protections that prevent the forced sale of a home in
cases of bankruptcy arising from medical debt.

���� 3.��� a.� Any person aged 18
or over, married or single, who resides within the State may hold as a
homestead exempt from attachment, execution, and forced sale, as result of a
judgement obtained for the payment and satisfaction of a medical debt, any one
of the following:

���� (1)�� the person�s interest in
real property upon which exists a dwelling house in which the person resides;

���� (2)�� the person�s interest in
one condominium or cooperative in which the person resides; or

���� (3)�� a manufactured home as
defined pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1990, c.61 (C.54:4-8.58), including the
land on which the manufactured home is situated.

���� b.��� Only one homestead
exemption pursuant to this section may be held by a married couple or a single
person.�

���� 4.��� This act shall take
effect on the 90th day next following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill establishes the
�Medical Debt Homestead Protection Act.�� Under the bill, any person aged 18 or
over, married or single, who resides within the State may hold as a homestead
exempt from attachment, execution, and forced sale, as result of a judgement
obtained for the payment and satisfaction of a medical debt, any one of the following:
an interest in real property upon which exists a dwelling house in which the
person resides; an interest in a condominium or cooperative in which the person
resides; or a manufactured home, including the land on which the manufactured
home is situated.� Only one homestead exemption at a time may be held by a
person under the bill.