Authorizes creation of Combat Action Ribbon license plate.

A1908

ASSEMBLY, No. 1908

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER

District 28 (Essex and Union)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Flynn

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes creation of Combat Action Ribbon license
plate.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

authorizing the creation of Combat Action Ribbon
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 Combat Action Ribbon 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
plate shall display the words "Combat Action Ribbon" and depict the
Combat Action Ribbon emblem.� The chief administrator, in consultation with the
Adjutant General of the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans�
Affairs, shall select the design of the Combat Action Ribbon license plates.�
The Combat Action Ribbon 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 Combat Action Ribbon license plates shall be made to the chief administrator
on forms and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator.� The
application shall include proof satisfactory to the chief administrator that
the applicant is a holder of the Combat Action Ribbon as certified on the
applicant's DD-214 form or on a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active
Duty.� 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 fee otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of
motor vehicles.� The chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to
the year of issuance of the Combat Action Ribbon license plate, a $10 fee for
the license plate in addition to the fee otherwise prescribed by law for the
registration of a motor vehicle.� The additional fees required by this
subsection shall be deposited in the �Combat Action Ribbon 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
"Combat Action Ribbon 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 New Jersey
Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs and shall be used to support
programs benefiting combat veterans. 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 "Combat Action Ribbon 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)�� producing, issuing,
renewing, and publicizing the availability of� the Combat Action Ribbon license
plates; and

���� (2)�� any computer programming
changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Combat Action Ribbon
license plate program established by P.L.��� , c.���� (C.�������� ) (pending
before the Legislature as this bill), 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 Combat Action Ribbon
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 Combat
Action Ribbon license plates.�

���� e.���� The chief administrator
shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Combat Action
Ribbon license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on
the website of the commission.� The New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans�
Affairs, and any other individual or entity designated by the department, may
publicize the availability of the Combat Action Ribbon license plates in any
manner that the department deems appropriate.

���� f.���� The chief administrator
and adjutant general shall develop and enter into an interdepartmental
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 adjutant general
shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the New
Jersey Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs and the commission. The
liaison shall represent the department in any and all communications with the
commission

regarding the Combat Action Ribbon
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)�� producing, issuing, and
publicizing the availability of Combat Action Ribbon license plates; or

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

���� b.��� An individual or entity
designated by the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs 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 producing, issuing, and publicizing the
availability of Combat Action Ribbon license plates, and any computer
programming which may be necessary to implement the program.� Concerned
organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the department to
be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Combat
Action Ribbon 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 �Combat Action Ribbon
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 the
Combat Action Ribbon license plates, or making any necessary computer
programming changes until the individual or entity designated by the New Jersey
Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs 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 Combat Action Ribbon license plate program.

���� 3.��� This act shall take
effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the
thirteenth month following the date on which the condition set forth in
subsection c. of section 2 of P.L.���� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before
the Legislature as this bill) has been satisfied.� The chief administrator may
take such anticipatory acts 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 condition set forth in subsection
c. of section 2 of P.L.���� , c.���� (C.������� ) (pending before the
Legislature as this bill) is not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month
following enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill authorizes special
Combat Action Ribbon license plates.� The license plate is to display the words
"Combat Action Ribbon" and the Combat Action Ribbon emblem.� An
application to obtain Combat Action Ribbon license plates is to include
satisfactory proof that the applicant received the Combat Action Ribbon.� 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 Combat Action
Ribbon license plates.� After deducting the cost of producing and publicizing
the plates, the additional fees collected will be deposited into the �Combat
Action Ribbon License Fund� and the funds will be appropriated annually to the
New Jersey Department of Military Veterans� Affairs (department) for programs
to benefit combat veterans.

���� The Chief Administrator of the
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) is required to annually
certify the average cost of producing, issuing, and publicizing the
availability of the specialty license plates. If the average cost per plate
exceeds $50, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate
program.�

���� The bill provides that no
State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost
to implement the Combat Action Ribbon license plate program. The bill
authorizes the department to receive funds, in an amount not to exceed a total of
$25,000, from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs incurred
by the commission for designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the
availability of the license plates.

���� The provisions of the bill are
to remain inoperative until the commission receives the initial funds. The bill
will expire if the funds to initiate the license plate program are not received
within 12 months of the effective date.

���� The Combat Action Ribbon was
approved for creation by the Secretary of the Navy on February 17, 1969.� The
honor was created to provide special recognition to any member of the Navy,
Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, when the Coast Guard was under the control of
the Navy, who actively participated in ground or surface combat.