TRENTON — Legislation to regulate Uber and Lyft hit an unexpected snag on Wednesday, as Senate President Steve Sweeney pulled the bill from this week’s voting board list. The delay appears to be over insurance requirements, a section of the bill that until now has been largely uncontroversial. Advertisement Sweeney said in an interview on Wednesday that he was concerned the proposal might not give a passenger adequate medical coverage in the event of an accident. “There is some confusion for me,” Sweeney said. “I want to get some clarity.” The push to regulate car-hail companies has been more than two years in the making. Last month, Trenton lawmakers finally struck a deal to marry competing proposals in the Senate and Assembly. The measures were virtually identical, with a sticking point over whether to include a provision to fingerprint drivers — a practice Uber and Lyft strongly oppose. But that issue was resolved in September, when the bill was amended so that the attorney general decides whether drivers must undergo fingerprint checks. Sweeney’s comments on Wednesday came as an association for trial lawyers ramped up efforts to change the policy. Sen. Paul Sarlo, the bill's sponsor, confirmed that the association is "lobbying real hard" but said he thinks the insurance policy does not need to be adjusted. “I feel the bill is solid, and ready to go,” he said, but added that he was willing to discuss it in caucus on Thursday. The Assembly still is expected to vote on the measure on Thursday. The lawyers insist that the proposed insurance policy would not protect passengers. But the state’s insurance council, Uber and Lyft all say this is simply not true. The legislation mandates more than one layer of auto insurance for drivers. Under the proposal, a driver’s personal auto insurance can cover accidents if a passenger is not yet in the car. But Uber and Lyft must provide a $1.5 million commercial insurance policy when passengers are in the vehicle. The New Jersey Association of Justice, an organization that represents trial lawyers, argues that the bill does not give adequate medical coverage for passengers. In New Jersey, passengers can typically use the medical benefits from their personal auto insurance. When they are in a commercial car — like a taxi or limo — that medical coverage does not apply. “That passenger is left bare. We view that as a real serious crisis for people who use these vehicles,” said Michael Donahue, president of the NJAJ. But Uber, Lyft and the Insurance Council of New Jersey all say the policy would provide more than enough coverage, and that the $1.5 million policy — which is the amount of coverage per accident — could apply to a passenger’s medical bills. The change, they say, would only yield excessively high insurance fees for the companies. Christopher Stark, vice president of the council, wrote to Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Vincent Prieto on Tuesday urging them to stick with the proposal as written. “This compromise has been the work of many hours of negotiations among the insurers, Transportation Network Companies, taxis, limos, and countless others,” he wrote. “Please do not disrupt the balance achieved for all these stakeholders by changing the insurance requirements at this late date.” Representatives for the car-hail industry denounced the lobbying push on Wednesday. “It’s troubling that the trial lawyers are amassing an 11th hour attempt to line their own pockets through inflated coverage requirements — which would be well in excess of industry standards,” said Craig Ewer, a spokesperson for Uber. “We cannot allow these special interests to undermine the future of ride-sharing in New Jersey.” Adrian Durbin, a Lyft spokesman, said in a statement that "this bill prioritizes public safety and consumer choice and is the result of months of discussions among a wide range of stakeholders, including TNCs, taxis, and insurers. We encourage the Legislature to resist last-minute attempts to undermine the great progress that has been made." Sweeney insisted his concerns were “not about trial court lawyers,” and added that he had other tweaks he wanted to discuss with the sponsors. “It’s about really protecting the consumer,” he said.
A proposed bill for regulating ride - sharing apps Uber and Lyft has been moved from this week 's voting board , due to controversial insurance requirements . Senate President Steve Sweeney has said he was concerned the companies would not give passengers adequate medical cover in the event of an accident . The new legislation requires Uber and Lyft provide more than one layer of insurance for passengers , with both the driver ’s personal auto insurance and another additional commercial insurance policy of up to $ 1.5 m required from the companies . Regulation for the ride - hailing companies has been in the works for two years .