SENATE TRANSPORTATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 3233

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED:  FEBRUARY 5, 2026

The Senate Transportation Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No. 3233.

As reported, this bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. (Delta Sigma Theta) license plates.

     The bill provides that the design of the Delta Sigma Theta license plate is to display appropriate words or a slogan and an emblem honoring Delta Sigma Theta.  Under the bill, the chief administrator, in consultation with the Eastern Regional Director of Delta Sigma Theta (director), is to select the design and color scheme of the Delta Sigma Theta license plates.

     In addition to the fees 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 Delta Sigma Theta license plates.  After deducting the costs of designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the plates and of any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, the additional fees are to be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. License Plate Fund.”  The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to Delta Sigma Theta to be used to support the organization’s mission and programs.

     The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Delta Sigma Theta license plates.  If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the Delta Sigma Theta license plate program.  The bill also requires the director to appoint a liaison to represent the Eastern Region of Delta Sigma Theta (Eastern Region) in all communications with the commission regarding the Delta Sigma Theta license plates.

     Under the bill, the chief administrator is to be responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission.  The Eastern Region, or an individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region, may also publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the Eastern Region deems appropriate.

     The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost of implementing the Delta Sigma Theta license plate program.  The bill requires the Eastern Region, or an individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region, to contribute non-public monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, 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 Eastern Region to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs.

     The chief administrator is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the Delta Sigma Theta license plates or make any necessary programming changes until:  (1) the Eastern Region or the individual or entity designated by the Eastern Region has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Delta Sigma Theta license plate program; and (2) the Eastern Region liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the Delta Sigma Theta license plates.

     In addition, the bill repeals an expired section of law authorizing the creation and issuance of Delta Sigma Theta license plates.

     Finally, the bill provides that the provisions of the bill are to remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided to the commission.  The bill is to expire 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.