§ 17:16N-1 — Findings, declarations

1. a. The Legislature hereby finds and declares that: (1) The depository institutions in New Jersey should meet the basic banking needs of the communities in which they are authorized to operate by assuring the availability of essential financial services to all people in the community; (2) In recent years, due to increased costs, many of the State's consumers, particularly young, low-income and elderly consumers, have been finding it increasingly difficult to afford basic checking services; (3) Those without access to banking and financial services due to increased cost are forced to operate on a cash-only basis and are therefore at greater risk for their personal safety and well-being; (4) The lack of access to banking and financial services forces many low-income and elderly consumers to use relatively high cost check-cashing services to cash their social security or welfare benefit checks, a practice that undermines the effectiveness of these vital public assistance programs. b. The Legislature declares that it is the purpose of this act to make a New Jersey Consumer Checking Account available to consumers by requiring depository institutions which offer regular checking accounts to offer a New Jersey Consumer Checking Account at low cost to all consumers who abide by the requirements established for such accounts by this act. L.1991,c.210,s.1.