New Jersey-2022-A3623-Introduced

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.