Bill Text: NJ S2036 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Authorizes creation of special Phi Beta Sigma license plates.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2020-10-08 - Referred to Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee [S2036 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2020-S2036-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator TROY SINGLETON
District 7 (Burlington)
SYNOPSIS
Authorizes creation of special Phi Beta Sigma license plates.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning special Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the 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 an emblem representative of the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. The chief administrator shall select the design, including an emblem and color scheme, in consultation with the International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma 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 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 Phi Beta Sigma 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 subsection shall be deposited in the "Phi Beta Sigma 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 "Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. and be used to support the organization's mission and programs which include, scholarships, social action programs, college endowment funding, and health initiatives. 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 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 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates; and
(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates.
e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Phi Beta Sigma license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission. The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., and any other individual or entity designated by the International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., may publicize the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates in any manner the organization deems appropriate.
f. The chief administrator and the International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 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 Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the organization and the commission. The liaison shall represent the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Phi Beta Sigma license plates established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
2. a. No State or other public funds shall be used by the commission for the initial cost of:
(1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates; or
(2) any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Phi Beta Sigma license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).
b. The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity. Inc., or the representative designated by the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., shall contribute 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. To further offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Phi Beta Sigma license plates authorized by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), other concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., or an individual or entity designated by the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., for this purpose. Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial costs shall be deposited in the "Phi Beta Sigma 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:
(1) The Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., or the individual or entity designated by the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plate program; and
(2) The liaison appointed by the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. 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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for Phi Beta Sigma 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 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 P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) have 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 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 authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue Phi Beta Sigma license plates. The design of the license plates is to be chosen by the chief administrator in consultation with the International President of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc. (Phi Beta Sigma).
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 Phi Beta Sigma license plates. The additional fees, 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, will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Phi Beta Sigma License Plate Fund." The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity and used to support the organization's mission and programs, which include scholarships, social action programs, college endowment funding, and health initiatives.
The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the Phi Beta Sigma license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program. The bill requires Phi Beta Sigma to appoint a liaison to represent the organization in all communications with the commission regarding the Phi Beta Sigma license plates.
The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used by the commission for the initial cost of designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Phi Beta Sigma license plate program.
The bill requires that Phi Beta Sigma, or an individual or entity designated by the organization, contribute monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed $25,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program. The bill authorizes Phi Beta Sigma to receive funds from private sources to be used to offset the initial costs.
The bill prohibits the commission from designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until: (1) Phi Beta Sigma, or its designee, has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Phi Beta Sigma license plate program; and (2) the Phi Beta Sigma liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Phi Beta Sigma license plates.
The chief administrator is responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission. Phi Beta Sigma, or any individual or entity designated by the organization, may also publicize the availability of Phi Beta Sigma license plates in any manner the organization deems appropriate.
The provisions of the bill remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month after the date on which the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided to the commission. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.
