New Jersey A 942: Requires professional services contract for legal services on behalf of State agency be memorialized in writing within 30 days.

Bill Text

A942 

ASSEMBLY, No. 942 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman WILLIAM B. SAMPSON, IV

District 31 (Hudson)

Assemblywoman ROSAURA "ROSY" BAGOLIE

District 27 (Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Speight

SYNOPSIS

���� "Pet Insurance Act."

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative 
Counsel.

��

An Act concerning pet insurance and supplementing P.L.1987, 
c.377 (C.17:46D-1 et seq.).

���� 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 �Pet Insurance Act.�

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

���� a.��� The purpose of this act 
is to promote the public welfare by creating a comprehensive legal framework 
within which pet insurance may be sold in this State. 

���� b.��� The requirements of this 
act shall apply to pet insurance policies that are issued to any resident of 
this State, and are sold, solicited, negotiated, or offered in this State, and 
policies or certificates that are delivered or issued for delivery in this 
State. 

���� c.��� All other applicable 
provisions of this State�s insurance laws shall continue to apply to pet 
insurance except that the specific provisions of this act shall supersede any 
general provisions of law that would otherwise be applicable to pet insurance.

���� 3.��� As used in this act:

���� �Chronic condition� means a 
condition that can be treated or managed, but not cured. 

���� �Congenital anomaly or 
disorder� means a condition that is present from birth, whether inherited or 
caused by the environment, which may cause or contribute to illness or disease. 

���� �Department� means the 
Department of Banking and Insurance.

���� �Hereditary disorder� means an 
abnormality that is genetically transmitted from parent to offspring and may 
cause illness or disease. 

���� �Insured� means the owner of 
the pet listed in the policy.

���� �Orthopedic� refers to 
conditions affecting the bones, skeletal muscle, cartilage, tendons, ligaments, 
and joints. It includes, but is not limited to, elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia, 
intervertebral disc degeneration, patellar luxation, and ruptured cranial 
cruciate ligaments. It does not include cancers or metabolic, hemopoietic, or 
autoimmune diseases. 

���� "Pet" means a member 
of the kingdom of living beings, commonly known as a domestic animal, that has 
the capacity for spontaneous movement and rapid motor response to stimulation, 
yet is not human, and which has been adapted or tamed to live in intimate 
association with, and for the pleasure or advantage of, the human species.

���� �Pet insurance� means a 
property insurance policy that provides coverage for accidents and illnesses of 
pets.

���� �Preexisting condition� means 
any condition for which any of the following are true prior to the effective 
date of a pet insurance policy or during any waiting period: 

���� (1)� A veterinarian provided 
medical advice; 

���� (2)� The pet received previous 
treatment; or 

���� (3)� Based on information from 
verifiable sources, the pet had signs or symptoms directly related to the 
condition for which a claim is being made. 

���� A condition for which coverage 
is afforded on a policy cannot be considered a preexisting condition on any 
renewal of the policy. 

���� �Renewal� means to issue and 
deliver at the end of an insurance policy period a policy which supersedes a 
policy previously issued and delivered by the same pet insurer or affiliated 
pet insurer and which provides types and limits of coverage substantially 
similar to those contained in the policy being superseded. 

���� �Veterinarian� means an 
individual who holds a valid license to practice veterinary medicine pursuant 
to P.L.1938, c.277 (C.45:16-1 et seq.). 

���� �Veterinary expenses� means 
the costs associated with medical advice, diagnosis, care, or treatment 
provided by a veterinarian, including, but not limited to, the cost of drugs 
prescribed by a veterinarian. 

���� �Waiting period� means the 
period of time specified in a pet insurance policy that is required to 
transpire before some or all of the coverage in the policy can begin. Waiting 
periods shall not be applied to renewals of existing coverage. 

���� �Wellness program� means a 
subscription or reimbursement-based program that is separate from an insurance 
policy that provides goods and services to promote the general health, safety, 
or well-being of the pet. �If any wellness program undertakes to indemnify 
another, or provides coverage for a fortuitous event, it is transacting in the 
business of insurance and is subject to the insurance code. This definition is 
not intended to classify a contract directly between a service provider and a 
pet owner that only involves the