Bill > A828

Introduced Session

This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special license plates to recipients of the Bronze Star. The surviving spouse of a Bronze Star recipient may retain special license plates obtained pursuant to the bill. The license plate is to display the words "Bronze Star" and the Bronze Star emblem, along with the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law. An application to obtain a Bronze Star Medal license plate is to include satisfactory proof that the applicant is a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal as evidenced by the applicant's DD-214 form or on a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty. In addition to the required motor vehicle registration fees, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the Bronze Star Medal license plates. After the deducting the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, the additional fees collected will be deposited into the "Bronze Star Medal License Plate Fund" and the funds will be appropriated annually to the New Jersey Department of Military Veterans' Affairs (department) for programs to benefit Bronze Star Medal recipients. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of the specialty license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the Bronze Star Medal license plate program. The bill also requires that the Adjutant General of the department appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding the Bronze Star Medal license plates. The bill provides that no State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost to implement the Bronze Star Medal license plate program. The bill requires an individual or entity designated by the department to contribute non-public monies, not to exceed $25,000, to offset the initial costs to design, produce, issue, and publicize the license plates. The bill authorizes the department to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs. The chief administrator is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the Bronze Star Medal license plates, until: (1) an individual or entity designated by the department has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Bronze Star Medal license plate program; and (2) the department, or its designee, has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the Bronze Star Medal license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those license plates. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the department's designee. The bill expires after 12 months if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Bob Andrzejczak (D)*,  Nicholas Chiaravalloti (D)*,  Wayne DeAngelo (D)*,  R. Bruce Land (D)*,  Herbert Conaway (D),  Craig Coughlin (D),  Serena DiMaso (R),  Carol Murphy (D),  Nancy Pinkin (D),  Kevin Rooney (R),  Parker Space (R),  Harold Wirths (R), 

Received in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee (on 12/05/2019)