56:14-1. Labeling requirements; liability of retail merchants; application of section
a. No person shall sell or offer to sell any new coat, jacket, garment or other clothing apparel made wholly or in part of fur, regardless of the price of the clothing apparel or the amount of the value of the fur contained therein, unless it has attached and conspicuously displayed a tag or label including the following information:
(1) the name or names of the animal or animals that produced the fur, as set forth in the Fur Products Name Guide, promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission pursuant to section 7 of the federal “Fur Products Labeling Act,” Pub.L.82-110 (15 U.S.C. s.69e); and
(2) the name of the country of origin of any imported furs used.
b. Labeling of a new article of clothing apparel pursuant to this section shall be accomplished by adding the required disclosures to a permanent or temporary tag attached to the clothing apparel, or by affixing in a conspicuous place a sticker listing these disclosures upon the clothing apparel.
c. As used in this section, “fur” means animal skin or part thereof, with hair, fleece, or fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state.
d. A retail merchant shall not be held liable for a violation of this section if a manufacturer or supplier for the merchant certifies to that merchant, in the invoice or other written document describing the clothing apparel, that any tag or label attached by the manufacturer or supplier conforms to the requirements of this section, unless the retail merchant knew, or reasonably should have known, that the certification is false.
e. This section shall only apply to new clothing apparel sold or offered for sale to a retail consumer in the first instance, and shall not apply to the resale of that clothing apparel by any second-hand, consignment, goodwill or similar resale merchant. Additionally, nothing contained in this section shall be construed to apply to the isolated or occasional sale of new clothing apparel by an individual not regularly engaged in the business of selling clothing apparel and who originally purchased the clothing apparel for the individual's personal use.
CREDIT(S)
L.2009, c. 156, § 1, eff. March 1, 2010.
56:14-2. Violations and penalties
A person who violates this act shall be subject to a penalty of not more than $500 for the first offense and not more than $1,000 for each subsequent offense, to 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.).
Each article of clothing apparel that is not marked in accordance with the provisions of this act shall constitute a separate violation.
CREDIT(S)
L.2009, c. 156, § 2, eff. March 1, 2010.
56:14-3. Rules and regulations
The Director of the Division of Consumer Affairs in the Department of Law and Public Safety shall adopt rules and regulations pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c. 410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.) to effectuate the provisions of this act.
CREDIT(S)
L.2009, c. 156, § 3, eff. March 1, 2010.