Bill > A5097

Introduced Session

This bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue woman veteran license plates. The design of the woman veteran license plates is to display a silhouette of a woman veteran saluting set against an American flag background and the words "Woman Veteran." An application to obtain a woman veteran license plate is to include satisfactory proof that the applicant is a veteran 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 license plates. After deducting the costs to implement the plates, the additional fees collected are to be deposited into the "Woman Veteran License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to the organizations and groups that support women 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 New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs (department) appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the MVC regarding the license plates. The bill provides that State or other public funds may not be used by the MVC for the initial cost to implement the license plate program. The bill requires the department, or 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 any computer programming 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 chief administrator is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, or make any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the department, or an individual or entity designated by the department, has provided the MVC with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC in establishing the license plate program; and (2) the department has provided the MVC with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those license plates. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the date on which the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC are provided by the department or its designee. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month after the bill's enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.

Committee Categories

Tennille McCoy (D)*,  Verlina Reynolds-Jackson (D)*,  Vicky Flynn (R),  Gerry Scharfenberger (R), 

Reported and Referred to Assembly Appropriations Committee (on 06/16/2025)

Official Document