ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 5114

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  JUNE 23, 2026

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 5114.

      As reported, this bill authorizes the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special Borinqueneers license plates to honor the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army, nicknamed “the Borinqueneers.”

      The bill provides that the design of the Borinqueneers license plate is to display the words “The Borinqueneers” along with an image or other pictorial designation of the 65th Infantry Regiment of the United States Army.  The chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs (department), is to select the design and color scheme of the Borinqueneers license plates.

      In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the Borinqueneers license plates.  After the deduction of the cost of designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the plates, and of any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, additional fees will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Borinqueneers License Plate Fund.”  The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the department and are to be used to support programs benefiting veterans of the United States Army.

      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 commissioner appoint a liaison to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding the Borinqueneers license plates.

      The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost to implement the Borinqueneers 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 computer programming changes that may be 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 commission is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the license plates, until:  (1) the individual or entity designated by the department has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the license plate program; and (2) the department liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates.

      The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th 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 after enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.

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 Borinqueneers 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 Borinqueneers 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 will receive an initial payment of up to $25,000 and a minimum of 500 license plate applications, for a total maximum collection of $50,000, to offset initial costs before license plate production begins.