SENATE MILITARY AND VETERANS' AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 1548

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  MAY 21, 2026

      The Senate Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate Bill No. 1548.

      As amended by the committee, this bill authorizes a special Support Our Veterans license plate with the proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veterans’ centers, Veterans Haven, North and South.

     The design of the license plate would be chosen by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in consultation with the Division of Veterans' Services in the New Jersey Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA).

     There is a $50 initial fee, in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 annual fee, in addition to the renewal fees required by law.  The additional fees, after the deduction of the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Support Our Veterans License Plate Fund.”  The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the Veterans Haven North Council and the Veterans Haven South Council within the DVA.

     The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, and publicizing the Support Our Veterans license plates.  If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program.

     The bill provides that no State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost of producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Support Our Veterans license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Support Our Veterans license plate program.

     The bill also requires that the Veterans Haven North Council and the Veterans Haven South Council, or an individual or entity designated by the council, contribute 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 producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Support Our Veterans license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program.

     The bill prohibits the commission from designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Support Our Veterans license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the Veterans Haven North Council and the Veterans Haven South Council, or its designee, has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Support Our Veterans license plate program; and (2) the liaison appointed by the Veterans Haven North Council and the Veterans Haven South Council, as appropriate, has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Support Our Veterans license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those plates.

     The chief administrator is responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission’s website.  The Veterans Haven North Council and the Veterans Haven South Council, or any individual or entity designated by the council, may also publicize the availability of Support Our Veterans license plates in any manner the respective council deems appropriate.

     The provisions of the bill remain inoperative until the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the board, and the bill expires after 12 months if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.

      This bill was prefiled for introduction in the 2026-2027 session pending technical review.  As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS:

      The committee amended the bill to include the names of the Veterans Haven councils.  As introduced, the bill made a general reference to the Veterans Haven Council.  The amendments specifically utilize the names of both councils: Veterans Have North Council and Veterans Haven South Council.  The committee amendments also replace references to the former New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs with references to the Department of Veterans Affairs.