Bill Text: NJ S3501 | 2018-2019 | Regular Session | Introduced


Bill Title: Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2019-02-21 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Transportation Committee [S3501 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2018-S3501-Introduced.html

SENATE, No. 3501

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

218th LEGISLATURE

 

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 21, 2019

 


 

Sponsored by:

Senator  PATRICK J. DIEGNAN, JR.

District 18 (Middlesex)

 

 

 

 

SYNOPSIS

     Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on the Arts.

 

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.    Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue support the arts 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 support the arts license plate shall display the slogan "We Support the Arts."  The chief administrator shall choose the design, including an emblem and color scheme, based upon the results of a Statewide contest for the design of the plates.

 

     2.    Application for issuance of a support the arts 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 support the arts license plate, a $10 fee for the license plate in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle.

 

     3.    a.  There shall be deposited into a special non-lapsing account to be known as the "Support the Arts Fund" the additional application and renewal fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act and any interest earned thereon, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for administrative costs pursuant to this section.  The monies in the fund shall be distributed to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in the Department of State, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1966 c.214 (C.52:16A-25) to support the arts in New Jersey.

     b.    Prior to the deposit of license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act into the fund, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, for producing, issuing, renewing and publicizing the availability of support the arts license plates, including the cost of any initial computer programming changes.

     c.    The chief administrator annually shall 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 support the arts license plates.  The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.

     d.    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 this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of support the arts license plates.

 

     4.    The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain support the arts 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 commission, after consultation with the artist who submitted the winning design.

 

     5.    This act shall take effect on the first day of the sixth month next following enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

     This bill authorizes a support the arts license plate with proceeds to go to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts.  The design of the license plate would be chosen by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) after conducting a Statewide contest.  The design would include the slogan "We Support the Arts."

     There is a $50 initial fee in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 annual fee in addition to the renewal fees required by law.  The monies raised, after reimbursement to the MVC, would be deposited into the "Support the Arts Fund," also established by this bill.

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