A665

An Act concerning Become A Nurse 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. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, upon proper application therefor, shall issue Become A Nurse 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, a Become A Nurse license plate shall display words, a slogan, an emblem, or any combination thereof promoting the choice of nursing as a career. The license plate shall be designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health. Become A Nurse license plates shall be subject to all applicable requirements of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.

b. The chief administrator shall collect a $50 application fee for the Become A Nurse license plates in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of the motor vehicle. The chief administrator shall collect annually subsequent to the year of issuance of the license plate a $10 fee for the license plate in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of the motor vehicle. The additional fees required by this subsection shall be deposited into the “Become A Nurse License Plate Scholarship Fund” established pursuant to subsection c. of this section.

c. There is created in the Department of Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Become A Nurse License Plate Scholarship 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 any contributing organizations or donors and the commission for administrative costs pursuant to subsection e. of this section. Moneys deposited in the fund shall be dedicated exclusively for nursing scholarships through the New Jersey Department of Health. Moneys 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 moneys deposited into the fund, and any moneys 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. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if neither of the following conditions are met, the chief administrator shall not be required to issue Become A Nurse license plates:

(1) At least 500 applications for the special plates are filed prior to the effective date of this act; or

(2) An organization, donor, or combination thereof contributes monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed $50,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission pursuant to subsection e. of this section. Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial costs shall be deposited in the "Become A Nurse License Plate Scholarship Fund" created pursuant to subsection c. of this act.

e. Prior to the deposit of license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the "Become A Nurse License Plate Scholarship Fund," such amounts thereof as are necessary shall first be used to reimburse, up to the amount contributed, any organization, donor, or combination thereof that contributed moneys toward the initial cost of the Become A Nurse license plates pursuant to subsection d. of this section, and then 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 Become A Nurse license plates; and

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

f. 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 Become A Nurse license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor.

If 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 Become A Nurse license plates.

g. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Become A Nurse 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, in consultation with the Commissioner of Health.

h. The Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the Commissioner of Health, and the State Treasurer shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed by the chief administrator and the New Jersey Department of Health in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act. In addition, the chief administrator and any organization, donor, or combination thereof which contributes monies pursuant to subsection d. of this section shall enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed by the commission and the contributing organization, donor, or combination thereof in carrying out the provisions of this act.

2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the thirteenth month after enactment, but the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall begin accepting applications for the Become A Nurse license plates on the first day of the fourth month after enactment, and the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, the Commissioner of Health, and the State Treasurer may take such anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act upon its effective date.

STATEMENT

This bill requires the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) to issue a special “Become A Nurse” license plate. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification prescribed by law, the plate would display words, a slogan, an emblem, or any combination thereof promoting the choice of nursing as a career. The license plate would be designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of the New Jersey Department of Health.

In addition to all other fees required by law for the registration of motor vehicles, an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 would be required for the special plates. These additional fees, after the reimbursement to any contributing organizations or donors and the MVC of the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, are to be deposited in a special non-lapsing account known as the "Become A Nurse License Plate Scholarship Fund." The proceeds would be used for nursing scholarships through the New Jersey Department of Health.

The chief administrator would not be required to issue the Become A Nurse license plates unless:

1) at least 500 or more applications are filed prior to the effective date; or

2) an organization, donor, or combination thereof contributes money to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission.

The chief administrator would be required to certify the average cost per unit in producing, issuing and publicizing the Become A Nurse license plate each year. If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administer would be authorized to discontinue the Become A Nurse license plate. The chief administrator would also be responsible for notifying eligible motorists of the availability of the plates. The notices, posters and signs used for such notification would be designed by the MVC, in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Health.