Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. a. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall issue, upon proper application therefor, bicycle trails 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, a bicycle trails license plate shall display words or a slogan and an emblem indicating support for, or an interest in, bicycle trails. The words or slogan and emblem shall be chosen by the director, who shall solicit input from the general public on the design of the plate and shall review the submissions prior to choosing the design. Issuance of bicycle trails license plates in accordance with this section 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 bicycle trails license plate shall be made to the division on forms and in a manner as may be prescribed by the director. In order to be deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50 payable to the division, which fee shall be in addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of the motor vehicle and shall be collected by the division and deposited in the Bicycle Trails License Plate Fund created pursuant to section 2 of this act.

    c. The annual fee for the registration certificate of a motor vehicle that has been issued a bicycle trails license plate pursuant to the provisions of this act shall include in each year subsequent to the year of issuance a fee in the amount of $10, which fee shall be in addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the renewal of the registration certificate of the motor vehicle and shall be collected by the division and deposited in the Bicycle Trails License Plate Fund created pursuant to section 2 of this act.

    d. The director shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain bicycle trails license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals, and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all division facilities and offices, as may be provided by the Department of Transportation. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the department. The designs shall be subject to the approval of the director, and the department shall supply the division with the notices, posters, and signs to be circulated or posted by the division.

    e. The director shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the division in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of bicycle trails license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.

    f. In the event that the average cost per license plate as certified by the director 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 director may discontinue the issuance of bicycle trails license plates.

    2. a. There is created in the Department of Transportation a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Bicycle Trails License Plate Fund," which shall be administered by the Commissioner of Transportation. The fund shall be the depository of the fees collected pursuant to section 1 of this act. Monies deposited in the fund shall be dedicated for support and funding of State and local projects and programs concerned with the development and maintenance of bicycle trails. 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.

    b. Prior to the deposit into the fund of license plate fees collected pursuant to section 1 of this act, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the division for all costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the director, for:

    (1) producing, issuing, renewing and publicizing the availability of bicycle trails license plates; and

    (2) any initial computer programming changes that may be necessary to implement the bicycle trails license plate program established by this act.

    3. The Commissioner of Transportation and the State Treasurer shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed by the departments in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.

    4. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment, but the Commissioner of Transportation, the State Treasurer and the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles may take such anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act upon the effective date thereof.

STATEMENT

    This bill would require the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles to issue special motor vehicle license plates to those persons who wish to support the development and maintenance of bicycle trails in the State through the payment of a fee for a special bicycle trails license plate for motor vehicles. The additional fee for the license plate would be $50, and the additional annual registration fee would be $10.

    If the average cost of producing and issuing the special plates is greater than $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the director may discontinue the issuance of the plates.

    The monies collected pursuant to this bill would be deposited into a special non-lapsing "Bicycle Trails License Plate Fund," which would be administered by the Commissioner of Transportation. Monies in the fund would be dedicated to the support and funding of State and local projects and programs concerned with the development and maintenance of bicycle trails. Monies in the fund would also be used to reimburse the division for the reasonable costs of issuing the license plates and for any initial computer programming changes that would be necessary.

Establishes special motor vehicle license plate and dedicates plate fees to support bicycle trail projects.