---
type: "Bill"
title: "Prohibits municipal utilities authority from charging fire district and fire department water service charges for fire protection systems in certain circumstances.*"
description: "Prohibits municipal utilities authority from charging fire district and fire department water service charges for fire protection systems in certain circumstances.*"
jurisdiction: "us/states/nj"
legislature: "New Jersey Legislature"
session: "221"
identifier: "A 5538"
citation: "New Jersey A 5538 (221)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["LOC GOVT"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hutchison, Dan", "Miller, Cody D.", "Moriarty, Paul D."]
version_count: 2
action_count: 11
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2025-04-10T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-01-12T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/32cc46e7-1923-49c6-b466-ee7c99813b54"
source_url: "https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/leg-databases/"
source_hash: "4aa7b1d3bbc6ab3d3db65d2355e45822ed895f5c646e567672b5a284f3138658"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-nj"]
---

# New Jersey A 5538 (221) — Prohibits municipal utilities authority from charging fire district and fire department water service charges for fire protection systems in certain circumstances.*

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/A6000/5538_I1.HTM)
2. **Reprint AAP 6/19/25 1R** (committee substitute) — [source](https://pub.njleg.state.nj.us/Bills/2024/A6000/5538_R1.HTM)

## Votes

- Reported favorably out of committee — **13–0** (pass) · upper
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **79–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported favorably out of committee — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- Reported out of Assembly committee with amendments — **10–0** (pass) · lower
- 3RDG FINAL PASSAGE — **37–0** (pass) · upper
- Reported favorably out of committee — **3–1** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Hutchison, Dan — primary (person)
- Miller, Cody D. — primary (person)
- Moriarty, Paul D. — primary (person)
- Freiman, Roy — cosponsor (person)
- Murphy, Carol A. — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2025-04-10T04:00:00+00:00** Introduced in the Assembly, Referred to Assembly Public Safety and Preparedness Committee `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2025-05-15T04:00:00+00:00** Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-06-19T04:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Assembly Committee with Amendments, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2025-06-30T04:00:00+00:00** Passed Assembly (79-0-0) `passage`
- **2025-10-20T04:00:00+00:00** Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Community and Urban Affairs Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-11-10T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2025-11-10T05:00:00+00:00** Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-12-15T05:00:00+00:00** Reported out of Senate Committee, 2nd Reading `committee-passage`
- **2025-12-22T05:00:00+00:00** Substituted for S4344 (1R)
- **2025-12-22T05:00:00+00:00** Passed Senate (Passed Both Houses) (37-0) `passage`
- **2026-01-12T05:00:00+00:00** Approved P.L.2025, c.267. `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/32cc46e7-1923-49c6-b466-ee7c99813b54`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official New Jersey legislature records).