ASSEMBLY APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2114

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: OCTOBER 7, 1996

      The Assembly Appropriations Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2114.

      Assembly Bill No. 2114 establishes a special license plate for Pinelands preservation. The plate would bear words and an emblem designed by the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in consultation with the Pinelands Commission. Motor vehicle owners and lessees would be able to obtain the plate for an initial fee of $50 and an annual $10 renewal fee. These fees would be in addition to the registration fees otherwise prescribed by law.

      The additional fees would be deposited in the "Pinelands Preservation Fund," created by the bill, and to be used for approved Pinelands acquisition projects; and the costs of surveys, appraisals and other costs incurred to acquire lands in the Pinelands National Reserve that have limited practical use because of their location and that are held by landowners who own less than 50 acres in the reserve and have exhausted existing remedies to secure relief.

       The additional fees would also be used to annually reimburse the DMV for the costs of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing this special plate, as well as any computer reprogramming costs. Initially, this reimbursement cannot exceed $100,000. The bill requires the Joint Budget Oversight Committee to certify annually the average cost per license plate.

      As reported, this bill is identical to Senate No. 210 (1R) of 1996.

FISCAL IMPACT:

      In the past on other bills authorizing the issuance of special license plates, the DMV estimated total fixed costs at $41,000 for reprogramming agency and revenue automated systems and for one-time die costs. The DMV does not attempt to estimate public interest in new plates; therefore, it does not offer a revenue estimate.

      As a reference, the division in Fiscal Year 1996 estimated that the animal welfare license plate would raise $433,000, the wildlife conservation license plate - $236,000, and the shore protection license plate - $899,000.