New Jersey-2014-S465-Introduced

An Act concerning special motor vehicle registration plates for members of the United States Coast Guard 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 the application of any person or parent of any person who is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard, the Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission may issue for a motor vehicle owned or leased by such person, or owned by the spouse or parent thereof, or owned by a business firm of which such person is the principal owner or stockholder a special vehicle registration plate, identifying the holder as a member or former member of the United States Coast Guard and bearing "The United States Coast Guard Seal." The plates shall also include the vehicle registration number and other markings or identification prescribed by law. The design and color for such plate shall be approved by the chief administrator.

b. The special plate authorized by this act may be issued upon proof, satisfactory to the chief administrator, that the applicant is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard.

c. The fee for the motor vehicle registration plates issued under this section shall be $25, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of motor vehicles.

d. No person shall lend the special plate for use on a motor vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued, or use the same for a motor vehicle other than the vehicle for which it was issued.

e. Any person violating any of the provisions of this act shall be fined not less than $25 nor more than $50.

f. The chief administrator may adopt rules, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), governing the issuance and use of the special vehicle registration plates authorized by this section.

2. The chief administrator may retain from the fees collected pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act such sums as are necessary to defray all the costs incurred by the commission in the implementation of this act as certified by the chief administrator.

3. a. The chief administrator shall annually certify the average cost per registration plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing and publicizing the availability of the designated driver registration plates.

b. 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 application fee established in section 2 of this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may increase the fee for a designated driver registration plate to an amount which, as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is no greater than the average cost per registration plate or the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the designated driver registration plate.

4. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month following enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission may take such anticipatory administrative action in advance thereof as shall be necessary for the implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill would authorize special motor vehicle registration plates for active members of the United States Coast Guard or former active members who have been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard. These special plates would also be available to the parents of any person who is an active member of the United States Coast Guard or former active member who has been honorably separated from the United States Coast Guard.

The plates would identify the holder as a member or former member of the United States Coast Guard and bear "The United States Coast Guard Seal." Under this bill, the fee for the motor vehicle registration plates issued under this section shall be $25, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of motor vehicles. The Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission would be authorized to retain monies collected from the plate purchases to defray all costs incurred by the commission in the implementation of the special plate program.