Bill Text: NJ A2197 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes issuance of special Humane State license plates.
Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 3-1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-09-27 - Substituted by S883 (1R) [A2197 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2018-A2197-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman TIM EUSTACE
District 38 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblyman RAJ MUKHERJI
District 33 (Hudson)
Assemblyman DANIEL R. BENSON
District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes issuance of special Humane State license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing the issuance of Humane State 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 Humane State license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in this State. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plates shall display the words "HUMANE STATE," and an emblem indicating support for the care of animals. The chief administrator shall, in consultation with the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, select the design and color scheme of the Humane State license plates. The Humane State 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 Humane State license plates 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 fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance of the Humane State license plates, a $10 fee for the license plates 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 "Humane State 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 "Humane State 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 Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, to be used to provide grants to county societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals for the shelter and care of animals. 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 securities approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited into 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 P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the "Humane State License Plate Fund," amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for all costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, for:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Humane State license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Humane State license plate program 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 Humane State 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 Humane State license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Humane State license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, and any other individual or entity designated by the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, may publicize the availability of the Humane State license plates in any manner that the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the President of the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
g. The President of the Animal
Welfare Federation of New Jersey shall appoint a representative who shall act
as a liaison between the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey and the
commission. The liaison shall represent the Animal Welfare Federation of New
Jersey in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Humane
State license plates established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. State or public funds shall not be used by the commission for the initial cost of:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Humane State license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Humane State license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey or an individual or entity designated by the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, shall contribute non-public 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 designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Humane State license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Humane State license plates authorized by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial cost shall be deposited in the "Humane State License Plate Fund" established pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
c. The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Humane State license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) The Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey or an individual or entity designated by the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey, has provided the commission with the money necessary, as determined by the chief administrator pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Humane State license plate program; and
(2) The liaison appointed by the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for Humane State license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for Humane State license plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing the total cost of the initial order. The fee shall be determined by multiplying the number of sets of license plates being ordered by the applicable initial fee for each set of license plates as set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
3. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act. This act shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special Humane State license plates.
The bill provides that the design of the Humane State license plate is to display the words "HUMANE STATE," and an emblem indicating support for the care of animals. The chief administrator is to, in consultation with the Animal Welfare Federation of New Jersey (AWFNJ), select the design and color scheme of the Humane State 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 Humane State 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, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, the additional fees will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Humane State License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the AWFNJ, to be used to provide grants to county societies for the prevention of cruelty to animals for the shelter and care of animals.
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 Humane State license plate program. The bill also requires that the President of the AWFNJ appoint a liaison to represent the AWFNJ in all communications with the commission regarding the Humane State 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 Humane State license plate program. The bill requires the AWFNJ, or an individual or entity designated by the AWFNJ, 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 which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the AWFNJ 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 Humane State license plates, until: (1) the AWFNJ or the individual or entity designated by the AWFNJ has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Humane State license plate program; and (2) the AWFNJ's liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the Humane State license plates.
The provisions of the bill will 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 expires on the last day of the 12th month if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.
