A2361

An Act concerning the creation and issuance of license plates for honorably discharged veterans 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 of any person who is classified as a veteran, pursuant to section 2 of P.L.1987, c.444 (C.38A:3-1.2) and as evidenced by the applicant’s DD-214 form or on a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and has been honorably discharged, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue honorably discharged veteran license plates for a motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State by the person. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plates shall display the word “Veteran” and designate, by name and insignia, the branch of the military in which the veteran served. The chief administrator, in consultation with the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs shall select the design, including an emblem and color scheme. The honorably discharged veteran 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 the honorably discharged veteran 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 honorably discharged veteran 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 “Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 “Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 support veterans in the State. 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 “Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 honorably discharged veteran license plates; and

(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the honorably discharged veteran 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 honorably discharged veteran 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 honorably discharged veteran license plates.

e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain honorably discharged veteran license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission’s website. The Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, and any other individual or entity designated by the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, may publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs deems appropriate.

f. The chief administrator and the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs 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 Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs and the commission. The liaison shall represent the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs in any and all communications with the commission regarding the license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

2. a. State or public funds shall not be used by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for the initial cost of:

(1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of honorably discharged veteran license plates; or

(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the honorably discharged veteran license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

b. An individual or entity designated by the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs, 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 honorably discharged veteran license plates and for any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the honorably discharged veteran 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 “Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 honorably discharged veteran license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:

(1) the individual or entity designated by the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in establishing the honorably discharged veteran license plate program; and

(2) the liaison appointed by the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with not less than 500 completed applications for honorably discharged veteran license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for the honorably discharged veteran 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).

d. The surviving spouse of a deceased veteran, who is eligible to operate a motor vehicle in this State under the provisions of R.S.39:3-10, may retain the honorably discharged veteran license plates obtained by the deceased veteran pursuant to subsection a. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for display on a motor vehicle owned or leased by the surviving spouse.

3. 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.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue honorably discharged veteran license plates upon proper application of any person who is classified as a veteran and has been honorably discharged. The design of the license plate is to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs (department). 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 “Honorably Discharged Veteran License Plate Fund”. The proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to support veterans in the State. 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 Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans’ Affairs appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the MVC regarding the license plates. The bill provides that State or public funds may not be used by the MVC for the initial cost to implement the license plate program. The bill requires 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 MVC is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, or make any necessary programming changes, until: (1) 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 following the date when the MVC has received the sufficient number of applications and amount in fees to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month following the bill’s enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.

The bill also allows the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran to retain the special license plates.