Bill Text: NJ A3113 | 2010-2011 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishes recreational fishing license plate; dedicates fees to coastal fishing research.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2010-07-01 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation, Public Works and Independent Authorities Committee [A3113 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2010-A3113-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman NELSON T. ALBANO
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)
SYNOPSIS
Establishes recreational fishing license plate; dedicates fees to coastal fishing research.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act establishing "Recreational Fishing" license plates, and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. a. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue recreational fishing license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the recreational fishing license plate shall display words or a slogan and an emblem indicating support for, or interest in, recreational fishing. The chief administrator shall select the design, but may consult with advocacy groups having an interest in recreational fishing. Recreational fishing license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.
b. Application for issuance of a recreational fishing license plate shall be made to the chief administrator on forms and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator. In order to be deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, which shall be in addition to the fee otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of motor vehicles. The chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance of the recreational fishing license plate, a $10 fee for the license plate in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The additional fees required by this subsection shall be deposited in the "Recreational Fishing License Plate Fund" created pursuant to subsection c. of this section.
c. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Recreational Fishing License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from all license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section. Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey and shall be used to fund research on coastal fishing. Monies deposited in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be invested or reinvested in such securities as are approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited in the fund, and any monies which may be appropriated or otherwise become available for the purposes of the fund, shall be credited to and deposited in the fund for use as set forth in this act.
d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the fund, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for all costs reasonable and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, for:
(1) producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the recreational fishing license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the recreational fishing license plate program established by this act, in an amount not to exceed $150,000.
The chief administrator shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the recreational fishing license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.
In the event that the average cost per license plate as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is greater than the $50 application fee established in subsection b. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of recreational fishing license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain recreational fishing license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all Motor Vehicle Commission facilities and offices. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the commission.
f. The chief administrator and the State Treasurer shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month after enactment, but the chief administrator may take such anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act upon its effective date.
STATEMENT
This bill would require the Motor Vehicle Commission to issue special recreational fishing license plates to persons interested in recreational fishing and supporting coastal fishing research. In addition to the registration number, and other markings otherwise prescribed by law, these license plates would include words or a slogan and an emblem indicating support for, or interest in, recreational fishing.
An application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 would be required for these special plates, in addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. These additional fees, after the deduction of the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, would be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Recreational Fishing License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund would annually be appropriated to the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University to be used to fund research on coastal fishing.
The chief administrator would be required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, and publicizing the recreational fishing license plates. If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator could discontinue the license plate program.
The chief administrator would be responsible for notifying eligible motorists of the availability of the plates.
