Bill > A4532

Introduced Session

This bill establishes the Automobile Theft Prevention Authority in the Department of Law and Public Safety. Under the bill, the authority is to be governed by a board of directors. The bill provides that the purpose of the authority is to establish, coordinate, and fund activities to prevent, combat, and reduce automobile theft; improve and support automobile theft law enforcement and administration; and improve and support automobile theft prosecution. Under the provisions of this bill, the board of directors is to consist of the following seven members: 1) the Attorney General or a designee who is to serve ex-officio; 2) a law enforcement officer employed by the Division of State Police with experience in investigating automobile theft appointed by the Governor; 3) a county prosecutor with experience in prosecuting automobile theft cases appointed by the Governor; 4) a representative of an insurance company doing business in this state which is authorized to write automobile insurance appointed by the Governor; and 5) three public members appointed by the Governor. The bill provides that except for the Attorney General, the members of the board of directors are to serve for a term of four years. Vacancies are to be filled in the same manner as the original appointments were made. The board of directors is to select a chairperson from among its members and a secretary who need not be a member of the board. Under the bill, a majority of the board of directors is to constitute a quorum for the transaction of business or the exercise of a power or function of the authority. However, action may be taken by the board at a meeting upon a vote of the majority of its members present. In addition, the bill provides that the authority is to have the powers and duties necessary to carry out and effectuate the purposes of the bill, including but not limited to, the power to: 1) employ administrative, professional, clerical, and other personnel as required to effectuate the provisions of the bill; 2) make, execute, and deliver contracts, conveyances, and other instruments necessary for the exercise of its powers and make and amend bylaws; 3) procure insurance against any loss in connection with its property, assets, or activities; 4) apply for, solicit, receive, establish priorities for, allocate, disperse, contract for, administer, and spend any funds made available to the authority from any source consistent with the purposes of the bill; 5) make grants and provide financial support for government agencies and community, consumer, and business organizations consistent with the purposes of the bill; 6) invest any funds held in reserve and any money not required for immediate use or disbursement at its discretion and to name and use depositories for its money; 7) assess the scope of the problem of automobile theft, including identification of those areas in this State where the problem is greatest, and review State and local criminal justice policies, programs, and plans dealing with automobile theft; 8) develop and sponsor the implementation of Statewide plans, programs, and strategies to combat automobile theft; improve the administration of the automobile theft laws; and provide a forum for identification of critical programs for those persons dealing with automobile theft; 9) coordinate the development, adoption, and implementation of plans, programs, and strategies relating to interagency and intergovernmental cooperation with respect to automobile theft law enforcement; 10) promulgate rules or regulations related to the expenditure of any money held in a fund in order to assist and support agencies, units of government, and other organizations charged with the responsibility of reducing automobile theft or interested and involved in achieving this goal; and 11) audit, at its discretion, the plans and programs that it has funded in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the plans and programs and withdraw funding if the authority determines that a plan or program is ineffective or is no longer in need of further financial support from the authority. The bill also provides that the authority is to report annually to the Governor and the Legislature on the authority's activities in the preceding year. The report is to be made available to the public on the Internet website of the Department of Law and Public Safety. In addition, the bill establishes in the Department of Law and Public Safety a separate, nonlapsing fund to be known as the "Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Fund." The fund is to be administered by the Automobile Theft Prevention Authority established by the bill and dedicated for the purposes set forth in the bill. Finally, the bill appropriates from the General Fund to the Department of Law and Public Safety $2,000,000 for the provision of that amount to the "Automobile Theft Prevention Authority Fund" for the purposes set forth in the bill.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D)*,  Shanique Speight (D)*, 

Introduced, Referred to Assembly Law and Public Safety Committee (on 09/22/2022)

Official Document