Cartridge Yield Display Bill Faces Final Hearing in New Jersey

According to NorthJersey.com, a bill which requires printer toner and ink cartridges to list the cost to print 1,000 pages, was due for a final hearing in New Jersey on Thursday, February 6.

The bill, which was passed in the last legislative session, received a pocket veto by Governor Christie. A pocket veto is a legislative maneuver in lawmaking , allowing an official with veto power effectively to exercise that power over a bill by taking no action. The final decision as to whether the bill will pass into law, has not been announced.

The intention of the bill is to provide customers with information about how much printer ink and toner costs per page.

“The fact that we know nothing about how much is in an ink cartridge, we don’t know what it yields when we go to buy it (causes) the consumer to be in a foggy haze making decisions about something they are going to use quite a bit,” said Paul Moriarty, Assemblyman of the Assembly Consumer Affairs Committee.

However, some opponents claim the decision could “increase costs for consumers and add a burden to retailers—online sellers won’t be subject to the law if it passes” and “the consumer is the one who will ultimately have to pay for it”.