New Jersey-2012-A3573-Introduced

An Act establishing Developmental Disability Awareness 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. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue Developmental Disability Awareness license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State. In addition to the registration number and other marking or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the Developmental Disability Awareness license plates shall display words or a slogan and an emblem indicating support for people with developmental disabilities and their families and caregivers. The chief administrator shall select the design in consultation with the Director of the Division of Developmental Disabilities in the Department of Human Services and any advocacy groups having an interest in developmental disabilities.

2. Application for issuance of a Developmental Disability Awareness license plate 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 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 Developmental Disability Awareness license plates, a $10 fee for the license plate in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The additional fees required by this section shall be deposited in the Developmental Disability Awareness License Plate Fund created pursuant to section 3 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

3. There is created in the Department of the Treasury, a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Developmental Disability Awareness License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected for all license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature), less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to section 4 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c.163 (C.34:1B-21.25a) to support the development and construction of community residences and permanent supportive housing for individuals with special needs. 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 act.

4. a. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) into the fund, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for all costs reasonable and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, for:

(1) producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Developmental Disability Awareness license plates; and

(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Developmental Disability Awareness license plate program established by this act, in an amount not to exceed $150,000.

b. 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 Developmental Disability Awareness license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.

c. 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 section 2 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of Developmental Disability Awareness license plates.

5. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Developmental Disability Awareness license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission and including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all facilities and offices. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the commission.

6. The chief administrator and the State Treasurer shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under the provisions of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

7. This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment, but the chief administrator may take such anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue special Developmental Disability Awareness license plates to persons who wish to show their support for people with developmental disabilities and their families and caregivers. In addition to the registration number and other markings otherwise prescribed by law, these license plates should include words or a slogan and an emblem indicating support for, or interest in, developmental disabilities.

In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 are required for these special plates. These additional fees, after the deduction of the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Developmental Disability Awareness License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the Special Needs Housing Trust Fund established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.2005, c.163 (C.34:1B-25a) and used to support the development and construction of community residences and permanent supportive housing for individuals with special needs.

The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, and publicizing Developmental Disability Awareness license plates. If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program.