Sponsored by:
Senator DIANE B. ALLEN
District 7 (Burlington and Camden)
SYNOPSIS
Creates special fallen firefighter plates with proceeds to children of fallen firefighters.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning 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. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall, upon proper application therefore, issue fallen firefighter license plates for any passenger motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State. The license plate shall be designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Director of the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs and shall feature a design that commemorates and honors firefighters who died in the line of duty. Issuance of the fallen firefighters license plates in accordance with this section shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.
2. An application for issuance of a fallen firefighter license plate shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, in addition to the fees otherwise required by law for the registration of the motor vehicle. The chief administrator shall collect an additional fee of $10 for renewal of the license plate, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of the motor vehicle.
3. a. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a non- lapsing, interest-bearing fund to be known as the "Fallen Fighter License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from the additional application and renewal fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act, after reimbursement of the commission for its actual costs in administering this act.
b. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used by the Director of the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs to fund educational scholarships for the children of fallen firefighters. 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 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 this act.
c. The State Treasurer shall provide an annual report to the Director of the Division of Fire Safety on the status of the fund, and the office shall provide an annual report to the State Treasurer documenting expenditures of monies from the fund.
4. a. The chief administrator shall annually certify the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing and publicizing the availability of the fallen firefighter license plates.
b. 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 application fee established in section 2 of this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may increase the fee for a fallen firefighter license plate to an amount which, as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is no greater than the average cost per license plate or the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the fallen firefighter license plate.
5. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain fallen firefighter license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals, and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all commission facilities and offices. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the chief administrator after consultation with the Director of the Division of Fire Safety.
6. The chief administrator and the Director of the Division of Fire Safety shall enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out the provisions of this act.
7. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission may take such anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill authorizes the production and distribution of a motor vehicle license plate dedicated to honoring the memory of fallen firefighters. The proceeds from this plate would be deposited in a "Fallen Firefighter License Plate Fund" in the Department of the Treasury and used to fund educational scholarships for the children of fallen firefighters.
The license plate would be designed by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in consultation with the Director of the Division of Fire Safety in the Department of Community Affairs. The plate would feature a design that commemorates and honors firefighters who died in the line of duty.
Applicants for the special plate would pay an additional fee of $50 and an additional renewal fee of $10 would be assessed.