STATE OF NEW JERSEY
220th LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2022 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes creation of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative Counsel.
An Act authorizing the creation and issuance of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in this State. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plates shall display appropriate words or a slogan and emblem honoring the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., shall select the design and color scheme of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates. The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise provided.
b. Application for issuance of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates shall be made to the chief administrator on forms and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator. In order to be deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, which shall be in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates, a $10 fee for the license plates in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The additional fees required by this subsection shall be deposited in the “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. License Plate Fund” created pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
c. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. License Plate Fund.” There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from all license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section. The monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and shall be used to provide grant funding to support the organization’s mission and programs.
Monies deposited in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be invested or reinvested in securities approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited into the fund, and any monies which may be appropriated or otherwise become available for purposes of the fund, shall be credited to and deposited in the fund for use as set forth in this act.
d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. License Plate Fund,” amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for all costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator for:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plate program in an amount not to exceed $150,000.
The chief administrator shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.
In the event that the average cost per license plate as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is greater than the $50 application fee established pursuant to subsection b. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission’s website. The Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., and any other individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., may publicize the availability of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates in any manner that the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.
g. The Eastern Region Vice-President Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. shall appoint the sitting District Director to act as a liaison between the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. and the commission. The liaison shall represent the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates established by this act.
2. a. State or public funds shall not be used by the commission for the initial cost of:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plate program established by this act.
b. An individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. shall contribute non-public 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 the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates authorized by this act. Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial cost shall be deposited in the “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. License Plate Fund” established pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act.
c. The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) an individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has provided the commission with the non-public monies necessary, as determined by the chief administrator pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plate program; and
(2) the liaison appointed by
the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. pursuant to subsection
g. of section 1 of this act has provided the commission with not less than 500
completed applications for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates.
These applications shall constitute the initial order for Alpha Phi Alpha
Fraternity, Inc. license plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing
the total cost of the initial order. The fee shall be determined by
multiplying the number of sets of license plates being ordered by the
applicable initial fee for each set of license plates as set forth in
subsection b. of section 1 of this act.
3. This act shall take effect immediately but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act. This act shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Alpha Phi Alpha) license plates.
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, the first intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity established for African American men, was founded on December 4, 1906 at Cornell University (Cornell) in Ithaca, New York by seven college men who recognized the need for a strong bond of brotherhood among African descendants in this country. The fraternity initially served as a study and support group for minority students who faced racial prejudice, both educationally and socially, at Cornell. The founders and early leaders of the fraternity succeeded in laying a firm foundation for Alpha Phi Alpha’s principles of scholarship, fellowship, good character, and the uplifting of humanity.
Alpha Phi Alpha chapters were established at other colleges and universities, many of them historically black institutions, soon after the founding at Cornell. The first alumni chapter was established in 1911. While continuing to stress academic excellence among its members, Alpha Phi Alpha also recognized the need to help correct the educational, economic, political, and social injustices faced by African Americans. Alpha Phi Alpha has long stood at the forefront of the African-American community’s fight for civil rights through leaders such as W.E.B. DuBois, Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., Edward Brooke, Martin Luther King, Jr., Thurgood Marshall, Andrew Young, William Gray, Paul Robeson, and many others. True to its form as the “first of firsts,” Alpha Phi Alpha has been interracial since 1945.
Since its founding on December 4, 1906, Alpha Phi Alpha has supplied voice and vision to the struggle of African Americans and people of color around the world. The objective of Alpha Phi Alpha is to: 1) Stimulate the ambition of its members; 2) to prepare members for the greatest usefulness in the causes of humanity, dignity and freedom of the individual; 3) to encourage the highest and noblest form of manhood; and 4) to aid down-trodden humanity in its efforts to achieve higher social, economic, and intellectual status.
The bill provides that the design of the Alpha Phi Alpha license plate is to display appropriate words or a slogan and an emblem honoring the Alpha Phi Alpha. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., is to select the design and color scheme of the Alpha Phi Alpha 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 Alpha Phi Alpha 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, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, the additional fees are to be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. License Plate Fund.” The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to Alpha Phi Alpha, to be used to support the organization's mission and programs.
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 Alpha Phi Alpha license plate program. The bill also requires that the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. appoint the District Director to represent the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (New Jersey Association of Alpha Phi Alpha Chapters) in all communications with the commission regarding the Alpha Phi Alpha 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 Alpha Phi Alpha license plate program. The bill requires the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. or an individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 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 Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. 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 Alpha Phi Alpha license plates, until: 1) the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. or the individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region Vice-President of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plate program; and 2) the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. license plates.
The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the Eastern Region of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. liaison. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.