Bill > A5542

Introduced Session

This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special United States Navy Veteran license plates to honorably discharged United States Navy veterans. The bill provides that the design of the United States Navy Veteran license plate is to display the words, "U.S. Navy Retired" along with an image or other pictorial designation of Navy insignia. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (department), is to select the design and color scheme of the United States Navy Veteran license plates. In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the United States Navy Veteran license plates. After the deduction of the cost of designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the plates and of any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, additional fees will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "United States Navy Veteran License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the department and are to be used to support programs benefiting Navy veterans. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, 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 license plate program. The bill also requires that the adjutant general appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding the United States Navy Veteran license plates. The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost to implement the United States Navy Veteran 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 and for computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the department to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs. The commission is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, until: (1) the 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 license plate program; and (2) the department liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided to the commission. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month after enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.

Committee Categories

Aura Dunn (R)*,  Ryan Peters (R)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee (on 05/05/2021)