ASSEMBLY EDUCATION COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 372

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: FEBRUARY 15, 1996

      The Assembly Education Committee favorably reports Assembly Bill No. 372 with committee amendments.

      As amended by committee, this bill authorizes the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to issue special license plates in support of education for a motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State. The special plates would contain markings indicating support for, or an interest in, education.

      Under the bill's provisions, the director of the Division of Motor Vehicles would select the license plate design after soliciting suggestions from the public. The application fee for the plates would be $50, with an additional $10 fee for each annual renewal, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The fees would be deposited into a special fund and used in accordance with a county-wide plan developed under the guidance of the county superintendent of schools. The plan is to be focused on the support of telecommunications infrastructure and information technologies in the schools, with an emphasis on the interconnections among school districts in the county. The plan is to identify the district which will serve as the fiscal agent and host for the plan and the budget is to describe the recipients and uses of the funds. The bill stipulates that the funds shall be distributed to support the county telecommunications plan in the county where the applicant for the license plate resides and that the funds shall not supplant any other State educational funding sources.

      The DMV would be reimbursed for the costs incurred for producing, issuing, renewing and publicizing the availability of the special plates from the fees collected prior to their deposit into the fund. Also, the director is to annually certify the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year which cost is to be certified by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor. In the event that the certified average cost per license plate exceeds the $50 applicant fee for two consecutive years, the director may discontinue the issuance of the education license plate.

      The committee amended the bill to increase the application fee from $25 to $50; provide for the deposit of the license plate fees into a special fund; and provide for the use of those fees in accordance with a county-wide plan developed under the guidance of the county superintendent of schools. The committee amendments also outline the elements that the plan must contain and provide for the designation of one of the districts within the county to serve as the fiscal agent and host for the plan. The amendments provide for the annual certification of the average cost incurred in the production of the license plate in the preceding year which cost is to be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee and authorize the discontinuance of the education license plate if the average cost per plate exceeds the $50 application fee in two consecutive years.

        This bill was pre-filed for introduction in the 1996 session pending technical review. As reported, the bill includes the changes required by technical review, which has been performed.