Bill Text: NJ A4840 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes creation of Juneteenth commemorative license plates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 5-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-11-14 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A4840 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-A4840-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman SHAVONDA E. SUMTER
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex)
Assemblywoman LINDA S. CARTER
District 22 (Middlesex, Somerset and Union)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman McKnight
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes creation of Juneteenth commemorative license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing the creation and issuance of Juneteenth commemorative license plates and supplementing 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 Juneteenth 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 appropriate words or a slogan and emblem commemorating Juneteenth. The chief administrator, in consultation with the New Jersey Historical Commission, shall select the design and color scheme of the Juneteenth license plates. The Juneteenth license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise provided.
b. Application for issuance of the Juneteenth 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 Juneteenth 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 "Juneteenth 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 "Juneteenth 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. The monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the New Jersey Historical Commission and shall be used by the New Jersey Historical Commission to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth.
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 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 "Juneteenth 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 Juneteenth license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Juneteenth 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 Juneteenth 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 pursuant to subsection b. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the Juneteenth license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain the Juneteenth license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The New Jersey Historical Commission, and any other individual or entity designated by the New Jersey Historical Commission, may publicize the availability of the Juneteenth license plates in any manner that the New Jersey Historical Commission deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the New Jersey Historical Commission shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.
g. The New Jersey Historical Commission shall appoint an individual to act as a liaison between the New Jersey Historical Commission and the commission. The liaison shall represent the New Jersey Historical Commission in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Juneteenth license plates established by this act.
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 the Juneteenth license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Juneteenth license plate program established by this act.
b. An individual or entity designated by the New Jersey Historical Commission 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 the Juneteenth license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the New Jersey Historical Commission to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Juneteenth license plates authorized by this act. Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial cost shall be deposited in the "Juneteenth License Plate Fund" established pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act.
c. The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Juneteenth license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) an individual or entity designated by the New Jersey Historical Commission has provided the commission with the non-public monies 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 Juneteenth license plate program; and
(2) the liaison appointed by the New Jersey Historical Commission pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of this act has provided the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for Juneteenth license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for Juneteenth 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 this act.
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 creation of Juneteenth commemorative license plates by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC). The license plates are to cost $50 for the initial application and $10 annually thereafter for renewal, in addition to other registration fees. Monies collected from the license plate program are to be deposited in a special fund called the "Juneteenth License Plate Fund." The monies deposited in the fund are to be appropriated annually to the New Jersey Historical Commission and are to be used by the New Jersey Historical Commission to commemorate and celebrate Juneteenth.
The bill provides that public funds are not to be used for the initial costs of establishing the Juneteenth license plate program. Prior to deposit in the Juneteenth License Plate Fund, monies from the license plate program are to be provided to the MVC to offset the costs of implementing the license plate program. In addition, prior to designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Juneteenth license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, the following requirements are required to be met:
(1) an individual or entity designated by the New Jersey Historical Commission must provide the MVC with the non-public monies necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC in establishing the Juneteenth license plate program; and
(2) a liaison appointed by the New Jersey Historical Commission pursuant to the bill is required to provide the MVC with not less than 500 completed applications for Juneteenth license plates.
Juneteenth is a State and federal holiday in the United States commemorating the emancipation of enslaved African-Americans and is often observed as a celebration of African-American culture. Originating in Galveston, Texas, it has been celebrated annually on June 19 in various parts of the United States since 1865.
