Sponsored by:
Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN
District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman Flynn, Assemblyman Scharfenberger, Assemblywoman McKnight, Assemblymen Thomson, McClellan, Torrissi, Umba, Assemblywoman Speight, Assemblymen Space and Wirths
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes special license plates for members of the United States Coast Guard.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee on June 15, 2023, with amendments.
An Act concerning special motor vehicle registration plates for members of the United States Coast Guard and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1[1. a. Upon the application of any person or parent of any person who is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may issue for a motor vehicle owned or leased by such person, or owned by the spouse or parent thereof, or owned by a business firm of which such person is the principal owner or stockholder a special vehicle registration plate, identifying the holder as a member or former member of the United States Coast Guard and bearing “The United States Coast Guard Seal.” The plates shall also include the vehicle registration number and other markings or identification prescribed by law. The design and color for such plate shall be approved by the chief administrator.
b. The special plate authorized by this act may be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the chief administrator, that the applicant is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard.
c. The fee for the motor vehicle registration plates issued under this section shall be $25, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of motor vehicles.
d. No person shall lend the special plate for use on a motor vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued, or use the same for a motor vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued.
e. Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $50.
f. The chief administrator may adopt rules, pursuant to the “Administrative Procedure Act,” P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), governing the issuance and use of the special vehicle registration plates authorized by this section.]1
11. a. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue United States Coast Guard license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State to a person who is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard, any motor vehicle owned by a business firm of which such person is the principal owner or stockholder, or to any motor vehicle owned or leased by the parent or spouse of such person. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plate shall display the United States Coast Guard Seal and appropriate words or a slogan representative of the United States Coast Guard. The chief administrator, in consultation with the United States Coast Guard, shall select the design, including an emblem and color scheme. United States Coast Guard license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.
b. Application for issuance of United States Coast Guard license plates shall be made to the chief administrator in a form and manner prescribed by the chief administrator. The application shall include proof satisfactory to the chief administrator that the applicant or the applicant’s spouse or child is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard. In order to be deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable to the 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 United States Coast Guard 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 “United States Coast Guard 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 “United States Coast Guard 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 the administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section. Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the United States Coast Guard. 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 such securities as are approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited in the fund, and any monies which may be appropriated or otherwise become available for the purposes of the fund, shall be credited to and deposited in the fund for use as set forth in this section.
d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the “United States Coast Guard 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 United States Coast Guard license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the United States Coast Guard 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 United States Coast Guard 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 in subsection b. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of United States Coast Guard license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain United States Coast Guard license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission. The United States Coast Guard, and any other individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard, may publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the United States Coast Guard deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the United States Coast Guard shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
g. The United States Coast Guard shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the United States Coast Guard and the commission. The liaison shall represent the United States Coast Guard in any and all communications with the commission regarding the license plates established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).1
1[2.
The chief administrator may retain from the fees collected pursuant to
subsection c. of section 1 of this act such sums as are necessary to defray all
the costs incurred by the commission in the implementation of this act as
certified by the chief administrator.]1
12. 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 United States Coast Guard license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the United States Coast Guard license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The United States Coast Guard, or an individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard, 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 United States Coast Guard license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the license plate program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the United States Coast Guard to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the United States Coast Guard license plates authorized by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial cost shall be deposited in the “United States Coast Guard License Plate Fund” established pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
c. The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of United States Coast Guard license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) The United States Coast Guard, or the individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard, has provided the commission with the money 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 United States Coast Guard license plate program; and
(2) The liaison appointed by the United States Coast Guard pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for the United States Coast Guard license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for United States Coast Guard 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 P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).1
1[3. a. The chief administrator shall annually certify the average cost per registration plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing and publicizing the availability of the designated driver registration plates.
b. 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 application fee established in subsection c. of section 1 of this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may increase the fee for a designated driver registration plate to an amount which, as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is no greater than the average cost per registration plate or the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the designated driver registration plate.]1
1[4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.]1
13. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take such anticipatory actions in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment.1