Authorizes special license plates for members of the United States Coast Guard.

A1436

ASSEMBLY, No. 1436

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman ERIK K. SIMONSEN

District 1 (Atlantic, Cape May and Cumberland)

Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Flynn, Assemblymen Scharfenberger, McClellan,
Kanitra, Assemblywoman Carter, Assemblymen Inganamort, Stanley and
Assemblywoman Speight

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes special license plates for members of the
United States Coast Guard.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

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 proper
application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
shall issue United States Coast Guard license plates for any motor vehicle
owned or leased and registered in the State to a 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, any motor vehicle owned by a
business firm of which such person is the principal owner or stockholder, or to
any motor vehicle owned or leased by the parent or spouse of such person.� In
addition to the registration number and other markings or identification
otherwise prescribed by law, the license plate shall display the United States
Coast Guard Seal and appropriate words or a slogan representative of the United
States Coast Guard. The chief administrator, in consultation with the United
States Coast Guard, shall select the design, including an emblem and color
scheme.� United States Coast Guard 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 United States Coast Guard license plates shall be made to the chief
administrator in a form and manner prescribed by the chief administrator. The
application shall include proof satisfactory to the chief administrator that
the applicant or the applicant�s spouse or child 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. In order to be deemed complete,
an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable to the 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 United States Coast
Guard 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 �United
States Coast Guard 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
�United States Coast Guard 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
the administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section.� Monies
deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the United States Coast
Guard.� 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 section.

���� d.��� Prior to the deposit of
the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into
the �United States Coast Guard 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 United States Coast
Guard license plates; and

���� (2)�� any computer programming
changes that may be initially necessary to implement the United States Coast
Guard 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 United States Coast
Guard 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 United
States Coast Guard license plates.�

���� e.���� The chief administrator
shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain United States
Coast Guard license plates by publicizing the availability of the license
plates on the website of the commission.� The United States Coast Guard, and
any other individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard, may
publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the United
States Coast Guard deems appropriate.

���� f.���� The chief administrator
and the United States Coast Guard 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 United States Coast
Guard shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the
United States Coast Guard and the commission. The liaison shall represent the
United States Coast Guard in any and all communications with the 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 commission for the initial cost of:

���� (1)�� designing, producing,
issuing, and publicizing the availability of United States Coast Guard license
plates; or

���� (2)�� any computer programming
changes which may be necessary to implement the United States Coast Guard
license plate program established by P.L.��� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill).

���� b.��� The United States Coast
Guard, or an individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard,
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 United States Coast Guard license plates and
for any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the license
plate program.� Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute
monies to the United States Coast Guard to be used to offset the initial costs
incurred by the commission for the United States Coast Guard 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 �United States Coast Guard 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
United States Coast Guard license plates, or making any necessary programming
changes, until the following requirements have been met:

���� (1)�� the United States Coast
Guard, or the individual or entity designated by the United States Coast Guard,
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 United States
Coast Guard license plate program; and

���� (2)�� the liaison appointed by
the United States Coast Guard 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 the United
States Coast Guard license plates.� These applications shall constitute the
initial order for United States Coast Guard 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.

STATEMENT

���� This bill authorizes the Chief
Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
(MVC) to issue United States Coast Guard license plates to current and former
members of the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and to the spouse and parents
of current and former members of the USCG.� The design of the license plate is
to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the USCG.

���� In addition to the required
motor vehicle registration fees, there is an application fee of $50 and an
annual renewal fee of $10 for the license plates.� After deducting the costs to
implement the license plate program, the additional fees collected are to be
deposited into the �United States Coast Guard License Plate Fund.�� The
proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to the USCG.

���� 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 license plate program.� The bill also
requires that the USCG appoint a liaison to represent the USCG in all
communications with the MVC regarding the license plates.�

���� The bill prohibits State or
other public funds from being used to cover the initial cost to implement the
license plate program.� The bill requires the USCG, or an individual or entity
designated by the USCG, 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 any computer programming necessary to implement the
program.� The bill authorizes the USCG to receive funds from private sources to
be used to offset the initial costs.�

���� The MVC is prohibited from
designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of the license
plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until: (1) the USCG, or an
individual or entity designated by the USCG, has provided the MVC with the
money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the MVC in establishing
the license plate program; and (2) the USCG, or its designee, has provided the
MVC with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the license plates, upon
the availability for purchase of those license plates.

���� The provisions of the bill
will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the date on
which appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs
incurred by the MVC are provided by the USCG or its designee. The bill expires
on the last day of the 12th month after enactment if sufficient applications
and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.