ASSEMBLY AGRICULTURE COMMITTEE

 

STATEMENT TO

 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4717

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

DATED:  OCTOBER 22, 2020

 

      The Assembly Agriculture Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 4717.

     This bill would require the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to create "Protect Pollinator" license plates, to be issued upon application for any motor vehicle registered in the State.  The license plate would feature a design and slogan that expresses support for New Jersey's native pollinator animals.  Applicants for the license plate would be required to pay an initial fee of $50 and a subsequent $10 fee to renew the license plates.

     The bill would also establish a special fund called the "Protect Pollinators License Plate Fund" in the Department of the Treasury.  Any monies from application fees that are not used to administer the license plate program would be deposited in this fund and annually appropriated to the Conserve Wildlife Foundation of New Jersey and to 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.

     The program could be discontinued by the Chief Administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission in the event that the average cost per plate of the program exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years.

      As reported by the committee, this bill is identical to Senate Bill No. 92 as also reported by the committee.