SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2391

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 11, 2026

      The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2391.

      As amended and reported, this bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates (license plates).  The design of the license plates is to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the New Jersey Historic Trust (historic trust) in but not of the Department of Community Affairs.  

      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 “250th Anniversary Revolutionary War License Plate Fund.”  The proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to support and preserve Revolutionary War sites throughout New Jersey. 

      The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the 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 the Chair of the New Jersey Historic Trust to appoint a liaison to represent the historic trust in all communications with the MVC regarding the license plates. 

      The bill provides that State or other public funds may not be used by the MVC for the initial cost to implement the license plate program.  The bill requires the historic trust, or an individual or entity designated by the historic trust, 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 historic trust 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) the historic trust, or an individual or entity designated by the historic trust, 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 historic trust has provided the MVC with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates. 

      The provisions of the bill are to remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month following the date on which the historic trust or its designee provides the MVC with the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC.  Finally, the bill is to expire on the last day of the 12th month following the bill’s enactment if the MVC does not receive sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs by that date. 

      As amended and reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 2391 is identical to Senate Bill No. 149, which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to: 

(1) require the New Jersey Historic Trust, rather than the New Jersey Historical Commission, to take certain actions as required in the bill; and 

(2) make technical changes.