Bill Text: NJ S149 | 2026-2027 | Regular Session | Amended
Bill Title: Authorizes creation of "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War" license plates.
Sponsorship: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2026-06-18 - Substituted by A2391 (2R) [S149 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2026-S149-Amended.html
[Second Reprint]
SENATE, No. 149
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Senator JAMES W. HOLZAPFEL
District 10 (Monmouth and Ocean)
Senator PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.
District 18 (Middlesex)
Co-Sponsored by:
Senators Amato, Tiver, Beach, Johnson, Greenstein and Space
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes creation of "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War" license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As reported by the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee on June 4, 2026, with amendments.
An Act concerning the creation of special 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 license plate shall display appropriate words or a slogan and an emblem representative of the American Revolutionary War. The chief administrator shall select the design, including an emblem and color scheme, in consultation with 1the1 New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 in 2,2 1but not of1 2,2 the Department of 1[State] Community Affairs1. The 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for the administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section. Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to support and preserve 2[Revolutionary War] heritage tourism2 sites throughout New Jersey. 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 1[which] that1 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 section.
d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War License Plate Fund," amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the New Jersey Motor Vehicle 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 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, and any other individual or entity designated by the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, may publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the Chair of the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 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 Chair of the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 and the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. The liaison shall represent the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 in any and all communications with the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission regarding the 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for the initial cost of:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes 1[which] that1 may be necessary to implement the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, or an individual or entity designated by the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates, and any computer programming 1[which] that1 may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 "250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) 1[The] the1 New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, or the individual or entity designated by the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1, has provided the New Jersey Motor Vehicle 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in establishing the 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plate program; and
(2) 1[The] the1 liaison appointed by the Chair of the New Jersey 1[Historical Commission] Historic Trust1 pursuant to subsection g. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission with not less than 500 completed applications for 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for 1the1 250th Anniversary Revolutionary War 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 13th month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take such anticipatory actions in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment.
