Bill Text: NJ S92 | 2020-2021 | Regular Session | Chaptered


Bill Title: Authorizes issuance of Protect Pollinators license plates.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 4-2)

Status: (Passed) 2021-10-27 - Approved P.L.2021, c.254. [S92 Detail]

Download: New_Jersey-2020-S92-Chaptered.html

§§1,2

C.39:3-27.160 and

39:3-27.161

§3

Note

 


P.L. 2021, CHAPTER 254, approved October 27, 2021

Senate, No. 92 (First Reprint)

 

 


An Act authorizing the issuance of Protect Pollinator 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 Protect Pollinators 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 plate shall display 1:

      (1)1 appropriate words or a slogan 1;1 and 1[an emblem representing one or more animal pollinators native to New Jersey.  The]

      (2) emblems of the State bird, the Eastern goldfinch; the State bug, the honeybee; and the State butterfly, the Black Swallowtail butterfly.

      The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. shall design the license plates in consultation with the1 chief administrator 1[shall select the design, including an emblem and color scheme] , which shall include the selection of a color scheme, the appropriate words or a slogan as required pursuant to paragraph (1) of this subsection, and the emblems required in paragraph (2) of this subsection1.  Protect Pollinators 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 a Protect Pollinators 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 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 Protect Pollinators 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. 1The fees required by this subsection shall be deposited in the "Protect Pollinators License Plate Fund," created pursuant to subsection c. of this section.1

      c.   There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Protect Pollinators 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 associated with the program.  Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to 1:

      (1)1 the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and 1[to]1 the "Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Program" established pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2017, c.44 (C.27:7-42.4) in order to support efforts to protect pollinator animals in the State 1; and

      (2)  the "New Jersey Farm to School Program" established pursuant to section 2 of P.L.2011, c.10 (C.4:10-25.2) in order to support the connection between food and pollinators and educate school children about this connection1.  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.

      d.   Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the "Protect Pollinators 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 Protect Pollinators license plates; and

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

      e.   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 Protect Pollinators 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 Protect Pollinators license plates.

      f.    The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Protect Pollinators license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission. 1The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. may publicize the availability of Protect Pollinators license plates in any manner the Garden Club of New Jersey deems appropriate.

      g.   The chief administrator and the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.

     h.    The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the organization and the commission.  The liaison shall represent the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Protect the Pollinators license plates established pursuant to this act.1

     12.   a.  No State or other public funds shall be used by the commission for the initial cost of:

     (1)   producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Protect Pollinators license plates; or

     (2)   any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Protect Pollinators license plate program established pursuant to this act.

     b.    The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. or other individual or entity designated by the Garden Club of New Jersey, 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 producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Protect Pollinators license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program.  To further help offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the special license plates authorized by this act, other concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., or an individual or entity designated by the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc., for this purpose.  Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial costs shall be deposited in the "Protect Pollinators License Plate Fund," established pursuant to subsection c. of section 1 of this act.

     c.     The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Protect Pollinators license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met:

     (1)   The Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. or the individual or entity designated by the Garden Club of New Jersey, 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 Protect Pollinators license plate program; and

     (2)   The liaison appointed by the Garden Club of New Jersey, Inc. pursuant to subsection h. of section 1 of this act has provided the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for Protect Pollinators license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for Protect Pollinators license plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing the total cost of the initial order. Such fee shall be determined by multiplying the number of sets of license plates being ordered by the applicable initial fee for each set of license plates as set forth in subsection b. of section 1 of this act.1

 

     1[2.] 3.1  This act shall take effect immediately 1, but shall remain inoperable until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act 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 this act. This act shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment1.

 

 

                                

 

     Authorizes issuance of Protect Pollinators license plates.

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