16. a. A person that makes a mortgage loan in this State shall not discriminate against an applicant in accepting an application, granting, withholding, extending, modifying or renewing, or in the fixing of the rates, terms, conditions, or provisions of any mortgage loan based on an applicant’s arrest, charge, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency, for manufacturing, distributing, or dispensing, or possessing or having under control with intent to manufacture, distribute, or dispense, marijuana or hashish in violation of paragraph (11) of subsection b. of N.J.S.2C:35-5,or a lesser amount of marijuana or hashish in violation of paragraph (12) of subsection b. of that section, or a violation of either of those paragraphs and a violation of subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1987, c.101 (C. 2C:35-7) or subsection a. of section 1 of P.L.1997, c.327 (C. 2C:35-7.1) for distributing, dispensing, or possessing with intent to distribute or dispense, on or within 1,000 feet of any school property, or on or within 500 feet of the real property comprising a public housing facility, public park, or public building, or obtaining, possessing, using, being under the influence of, or failing to make lawful disposition of marijuana or hashish in violation of paragraph (3) or (4) of subsection a., or subsection b., or subsection c. of N.J.S.2C:35-10, or a violation involving marijuana or hashish as described herein and a violation of N.J.S. 2C:36-2 for using or possessing with intent to use drug paraphernalia with that marijuana or hashish, or an arrest, charge, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency under the laws of another state or of the United States of a crime or offense, which, if committed in this State, would be a violation of any of the aforementioned crimes or offenses, regardless of when any such arrest, charge, conviction, or adjudication of delinquency occurred.

b. Any applicant who has been discriminated against as a result of a violation of this section may bring an action in New Jersey in a court of competent jurisdiction. Upon finding that a person is in violation of this section, the court may award actual damages, reasonable attorneys’ fees, and court costs.

c. The Commissioner of Banking and Insurance shall have the power to:

(1) Make such investigations into any matter pertaining to this section, including the power to hold hearings and issue subpoenas to compel the attendance of witnesses and the production of evidence. In case of a failure of any person to comply with any subpoena, the Superior Court may issue an order requiring the attendance of such person and the giving of testimony or production of evidence. Any person failing to obey the court’s order may be punished for contempt.

(2) Order a person found to be in violation of this section to cease its unlawful practices, subject to review, hearing, and relief in the Superior Court. A person that continues to violate the provisions of this act after having been ordered by the commissioner to cease such practices shall be liable to a penalty of $10,000 for each offense instead of the penalty for a continuous violation set forth in section 10 of P.L.1977, c.1 (C. 17:16F-10). This penalty may be collected in a summary proceeding pursuant to the “Penalty Enforcement Law of 1999,” P.L.1999, c.274 (C. 2A:58-10 et seq.). Except as set forth herein, the penalty provided by this section shall be in addition to and not in lieu of any other provision of law applicable upon a person’s failure to comply with an order of the commissioner.

L.2021, c.19, s.16.