Bill > S585

Introduced Session

This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to create and issue special Mental Health Awareness license plates. The license plate is to display the words, "Mental Health Awareness," along with the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law. The design of the Mental Health Awareness license plate is to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services (division). 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 Mental Health Awareness license plates. After deducting the cost to implement the Mental Health Awareness license plate program, the additional fees collected are required to be deposited into the "Mental Health Awareness License Plate Fund," and the funds are to be appropriated annually to the division to conduct mental health research and provide and support new and existing mental health programs and services throughout New Jersey. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the Mental Health Awareness license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the Mental Health Awareness license plate program. The bill also requires that the division appoint a liaison to represent the division in all communications with the commission regarding the Mental Health Awareness license plates. The bill provides that no State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost of designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Mental Health Awareness license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Mental Health Awareness license plate program. The bill also requires that an individual or entity designated by the division contribute monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed a total of $25,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Mental Health Awareness license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the division to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs. The bill prohibits the commission from designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Mental Health Awareness license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the individual or entity designated by the division has provided the commission with the non-public money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Mental Health Awareness license plate program; and (2) the division's liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Mental Health Awareness license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those license plates. The chief administrator is responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The division, or any individual or entity designated by the division, may also publicize the availability of Mental Health Awareness license plates in any manner the division deems appropriate. 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 the date of enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.

AI Summary

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Jon Bramnick (R)*, 

Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee (on 06/03/2024)

Official Document