ASSEMBLY MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEBLY COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR

ASSEMBLY, No. 1375

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  december 4, 2025

      The Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee reports favorably an Assembly Committee Substitute for Assembly Bill No. 1375.

      As substituted and reported, this bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission to issue special veteran license plates for motor vehicles owned or leased and registered by veterans in this State.  The veteran license plates, as designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, are required to bear the word “veteran” and to be distinctly different from any license plate issued by the commission. 

      In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee for the veteran license plates.  After deducting the costs to implement the license plates, the monies collected from the license plates are to be deposited in a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Veteran License Plate Fund.”  The monies deposited in the fund are to be appropriated annually to the department to be used to recognize veterans and to provide benefits to 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 veteran license plate program.  The bill also requires the department to appoint an individual to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding veteran license plates.

      The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used for the initial costs of establishing the veteran license plate program.  In addition, prior to designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of veteran license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, the following requirements are required to be met:

      (1) an individual or entity designated by the department is required to provide the commission with the non-public monies necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the veteran license plate program; and

      (2) a liaison appointed by the department pursuant to the bill is required to provide the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for veteran license plates.

      This bill also allows the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran, who is eligible to operate a motor vehicle in this State, to retain the special license plates obtained by the deceased veteran spouse for display on a motor vehicle owned or leased by the surviving spouse.

      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 to the commission.  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.