Bill Text: NJ A3153 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes issuance of West Virginia University alumni license plates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-02-24 - Introduced, Referred to Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee [A3153 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-A3153-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Assemblywoman CAROL A. MURPHY
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes issuance of West Virginia University alumni license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act authorizing the issuance of West Virginia University alumni license plates 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 West Virginia University alumni 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 plates shall display appropriate words or a slogan and emblem honoring West Virginia University. The chief administrator shall, in consultation with the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President, select the design and color scheme of the West Virginia University alumni license plates. The West Virginia University alumni license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise provided.
b. Application for issuance of West Virginia University alumni 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 West Virginia University alumni 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 "West Virginia University 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 "West Virginia University 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 West Virginia University Alumni Association to be used to support the organization's mission and programs. 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 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 "West Virginia University 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the West Virginia University alumni 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 West Virginia University alumni 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain West Virginia University alumni license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President and any other individual or entity designated by the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter, may publicize the availability of the West Virginia University alumni license plates in any manner that the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President 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 West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter and the commission. The liaison shall represent the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter in any and all communications with the commission regarding the West Virginia University alumni 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the West Virginia University alumni license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter or an individual or entity designated by the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter, 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the West Virginia University alumni license plates authorized by 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) The West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter or an individual or entity designated by the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter, has provided the commission with the non-public monies 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 West Virginia University alumni license plate program; and
(2) The liaison appointed by the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President 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 West Virginia University alumni license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for West Virginia University alumni 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 this act have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act. This act shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 15th month following enactment.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special West Virginia University alumni license plates.
West Virginia University (WVU) was founded in 1867 as a land-grant institution. WVU is rated as an R1, or very high research activity, institution, which is the most elite category for research-focused schools alongside such institutions as Princeton University and Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. WVU has awarded degrees to 2,204 graduates from New Jersey from 2011 to 2018. New Jersey has four alumni chapters located in the State: 1) the Jersey Shore Chapter; 2) the NY/NJ Metro Chapter; 3) the Southern New Jersey Chapter; and 4) the Northern New Jersey Chapter.
The bill provides that the design of the WVU alumni license plate is to display appropriate words or a slogan and an emblem honoring WVU. The chief administrator, in consultation with the WVU Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President, is to select the design and color scheme of the WVU alumni license plates.
In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for the WVU alumni license plates. After the deduction of the cost of designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the plates and of any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, additional fees will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "West Virginia University License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the West Virginia University Alumni Association to be used to support the organization's mission and programs.
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 WVU alumni license plate program. The bill also requires that the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter President appoint a liaison to represent the West Virginia University Southern New Jersey Alumni Chapter (Southern NJ Chapter) in all communications with the commission regarding the WVU alumni license plates.
The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost to implement the WVU alumni license plate program. The bill requires the Southern NJ Chapter or an individual or entity designated by the Southern NJ Chapter 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 computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes the Southern NJ Chapter to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs.
The chief administrator is not required to design, produce, issue, or publicize the availability of the WVU alumni license plates, until: (1) the Southern NJ Chapter or the individual or entity designated by the Southern NJ Chapter has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the WVU alumni license plate program; and (2) the Southern NJ Chapter liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for the WVU alumni license plates.
The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the Southern NJ Chapter liaison. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.
