SENATE BUDGET AND APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 2391

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  June 4, 2026

      The Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Assembly Bill No. 2391 (1R).

      As 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 heritage tourism 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 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 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 prohibits the MVC from using State or other public funds 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, upon the availability for purchase of those 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 appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC are provided by the historic trust or its designee.  Finally, the bill is to expire 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. 

      As amended and reported by the committee, Assembly Bill No. 2391 (1R) is identical to Senate Bill No. 149 (1R), which was also amended and reported by the committee on this date.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to: 

      (1)  annually appropriate proceeds of the “250th Anniversary Revolutionary War License Plate Fund” created under the bill to support and preserve heritage tourism sites, rather than Revolutionary War sites, throughout New Jersey; and

      (2) make technical changes.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      The Office of Legislative Services (OLS) finds that the bill will potentially produce annual State revenue and expenditure increases that will largely offset one another.  The OLS cannot quantify the annual increases because it is unclear how many applications the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission will receive for the new 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plate.  However, the OLS notes that the commission is required to receive a minimum of 500 applications for the new specialty plate to implement the bill. 

      The bill establishes the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plate program in such a manner that the commission may fully recover the expenses incurred in administering the program.  The commission has identified its initial cost of designing and establishing a new license plate series as $46,423, which is largely attributable to computer system changes and an initial print run of 900 plates.  The commission will receive a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee for each license plate issued under the program.  Initial fee collections will reimburse the commission for the expenses it incurs in administering the program.  In addition, the commission is required to receive an initial payment of up to $25,000 and a minimum of 500 license plate applications, for a total collection of $50,000, to offset initial costs before license plate production begins.