Sponsored by:
Assemblyman RUBEN J. RAMOS, JR.
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman RALPH R. CAPUTO
District 28 (Essex)
Assemblyman GORDON M. JOHNSON
District 37 (Bergen)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Fuentes
SYNOPSIS
Exempts certain car-sharing programs from motor vehicle rental fees.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act exempting certain car-sharing programs from the motor vehicle rental surcharge and amending P.L.2002, c.34.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 54 of P.L.2002, c.34 (C.App.A:9-78) is amended to read as follows:
54. a. As used in this section:
“Car-sharing organization” means an organization that runs a membership program intended to offer an alternative to car ownership under which persons or entities that become members are permitted to use vehicles from a fleet on a hourly basis.
"Rental company" means a person engaged in the business of renting motor vehicles except that “rental company” shall not include activities conducted by a car-sharing organization as defined in this section.
"Rental motor vehicle" means a passenger automobile, truck or semitrailer that is rented by a rental company without a driver and used in the transportation of persons or property other than commercial freight.
b. Each rental company doing business in this State shall pay a fee for each rental motor vehicle that the company shall have rented from a location in this State under the terms of a rental agreement for a period of not more than 28 days. The amount of the fee shall be $5 for each day or part thereof that each such vehicle was rented. A car-sharing organization shall not be required to pay this fee. The fee shall be separately stated to the person to whom the motor vehicle is rented and shall not be included in the receipts subject to the taxes imposed pursuant to the "Sales and Use Tax Act," P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.).
The director of the Division of Taxation in the Department of the Treasury shall collect and administer the fee; in so doing, the director shall have all the powers granted pursuant to P.L.1966, c.30 (C.54:32B-1 et seq.). The director may, pursuant to the provisions of the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), make, adopt, amend or repeal such rules and regulations as the director finds necessary to carry out the provisions of this subsection.
c. There is established in
the General Fund the New Jersey Domestic Security Account, which shall be a
dedicated nonlapsing account. Amounts paid to the State Treasurer from the
first $2 of the fee for each day or part thereof that a rental motor vehicle
was rented pursuant to subsection b. of this section shall be deposited into
the account upon receipt. Moneys in the account, including
interest thereon, shall be available exclusively for appropriation to support
medical emergency disaster preparedness for bioterrorism, security coverage at
nuclear power facilities, State Police salaries related to Statewide security
services, and counter-terrorism programs.
(cf: P.L.2006, c.42, s.1)
2. This act shall take effect immediately.
STATEMENT
This bill would exempt car-sharing organizations from the $5 surcharge on motor vehicle rentals charged pursuant to section 54 of P.L.2002, c.34 (C.App.A:9-78). The bill defines a car-sharing organization as “. . . an organization that runs a membership program intended to offer an alternative to car ownership under which persons or entities that become members are permitted to use vehicles from a fleet on a hourly basis.”
Under the bill, a car-sharing organization would be differentiated from car rental companies and thereby ensure that alternatives to car ownership receive different tax treatment from car-rental commercial transactions.