Authorizes creation of honorably discharged veteran license plates.

A2361

ASSEMBLY, No. 2361

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.

District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)

Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO

District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

Assemblyman ROBERT J. KARABINCHAK

District 18 (Middlesex)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman Fantasia, Assemblymen McClellan, Simonsen,
Inganamort, Bailey and Assemblywoman Flynn

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes creation of honorably discharged veteran
license plates.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

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

��

An Act

concerning the creation and issuance of license plates for honorably discharged
veterans 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 of any person who is classified as a veteran, pursuant to section 2
of P.L.1987, c.444 (C.38A:3-1.2) and as evidenced by the applicant�s DD-214
form or on a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and has been
honorably discharged, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle
Commission shall issue honorably discharged veteran license plates for a motor
vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State by the person. �In addition
to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise
prescribed by law, the license plates shall display the word �Veteran� and
designate, by name and insignia, the branch of the military in which the
veteran served. �The chief administrator, in consultation with the Adjutant
General of the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs shall select the
design, including an emblem and color scheme.� The honorably discharged veteran
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 honorably discharged veteran 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 honorably
discharged veteran 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 �Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 �Honorably
Discharged Veteran 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 support veterans in the
State.� 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 �Honorably Discharged Veteran 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 honorably discharged
veteran license plates; and

���� (2) any computer programming
changes that may be initially necessary to implement the honorably discharged
veteran 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 honorably discharged
veteran 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 honorably
discharged veteran license plates.�

���� e.���� The chief administrator
shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain honorably
discharged veteran license plates by publicizing the availability of the
license plates on the commission�s website.� The Department of Military and
Veterans� Affairs, and any other individual or entity designated by the
Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs, may publicize the availability of
the license plates in any manner the Department of Military and Veterans�
Affairs deems appropriate.�

���� f.���� The chief administrator
and the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs
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 Adjutant General of
the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs shall appoint a representative
who shall act as a liaison between the Department of Military and Veterans�
Affairs and the commission. �The liaison shall represent the Department of
Military and Veterans� Affairs in any and all communications with the commission
regarding the license plate program 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 honorably discharged veteran
license plates; or

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

���� b.��� An individual or entity
designated by the 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 designing, producing, issuing, and
publicizing the availability of honorably discharged veteran license plates and
for any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program.�
Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Department
of Military and Veterans� Affairs to be used to offset the initial costs
incurred by the commission for the honorably discharged veteran 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 �Honorably Discharged
Veteran 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 honorably
discharged veteran license plates, or making any necessary programming changes,
until the following requirements have been met:�

���� (1) the individual or entity
designated by the 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 New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in establishing the honorably
discharged veteran license plate program; and

���� (2) the liaison appointed by
the Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs
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 honorably discharged veteran
license plates.� These applications shall constitute the initial order for the
honorably discharged veteran 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).�

���� d.��� The surviving spouse of
a deceased veteran, who is eligible to operate a motor vehicle in this State
under the provisions of R.S.39:3-10, may retain the honorably discharged
veteran license plates obtained by the deceased veteran pursuant to subsection
a. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. )
(pending before the Legislature as this bill) for display on a motor vehicle
owned or leased by the surviving spouse.�

���� 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
requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of
the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue honorably discharged
veteran license plates upon proper application of any person who is classified
as a veteran and has been honorably discharged.� The design of the license
plate is to be chosen by the chief administrator, in consultation with the
Adjutant General of the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs
(department). 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 plates, the additional fees
collected are to be deposited into the �Honorably Discharged Veteran License
Plate Fund�. The proceeds of the fund are to be appropriated annually to
support veterans in the State. 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 Adjutant
General of the Department of Military and Veterans� Affairs appoint a liaison
to represent the department in all communications with the MVC regarding the
license plates.� The bill provides that State or public funds may not be used
by the MVC for the initial cost to implement the license plate program.� The
bill requires an individual or entity designated by the department 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 department to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the
initial costs.�

����� The MVC is not required to design, produce, issue, or
publicize the availability of the license plates, or make any necessary
programming changes, until: (1) an individual or entity designated by the
department 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 department 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 following the date when the MVC has received
the sufficient number of applications and amount in fees to offset the initial
costs incurred by the MVC.� The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month
following the bill�s enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset
the initial costs are not received by that date.

�����
The bill also allows the surviving spouse of a
deceased veteran to retain the special license plates.