ASSEMBLY, No. 2670

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED JANUARY 29, 1997

By Assemblyman ARNONE

An Act authorizing "Families First" 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 Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall, upon proper application therefor, issue for a motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State special license plates bearing, in addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the slogan "Families First."

    b. Application for issuance of a Families First license plate shall be made to the division on such forms and in a manner prescribed by the director. The director shall collect for each set of plates issued an application fee of $50, and an annual renewal fee of $10, in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of the motor vehicle.

    c.    There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Domestic Violence Shelter Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the additional registration fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the division for administrative costs pursuant this act. Monies deposited in the fund shall be allocated to the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy in the Department of Law and Public Safety to be expended exclusively for the support and funding of domestic violence shelters throughout the State. 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 section.

    d. Prior to the deposit of the additional registration fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, amounts 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 Families First license plates; and

    (2) any initial fees collected from the issuance of Families First license plates to be allocated to the division to pay the cost of any computer programming changes that may be necessary to implement the Families First license plate program established by this act.

    e. The director shall annually certify to the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the division in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of Families First 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 Families First license plates.

    g. The director, the State Treasurer and the Director of the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed by the department, the office and the division in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.

    h. The director shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain Families First license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals, and by posting appropriate posters or signs as may be provided by the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy, in all division facilities and offices. The notices, posters and signs shall be designed by the director in cooperation with the Director of the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy.

    2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the seventh month after enactment; except the Director of the Division of Criminal Justice, the State Treasurer and the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles may take such action in advance of the effective date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act.

STATEMENT

    This bill would establish a "Families First" license plate to support and fund domestic violence shelters throughout the State. There would be a $50 fee in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 renewal fee in addition to the renewal fees required by law.

The plates would display the slogan "Families First." The monies raised from the fees for the license plate would be deposited into a fund also established by this bill, to be known as the "Domestic Violence Shelter Fund," after reimbursement to the Division of Motor Vehicles for costs of producing and issuing the plates.

    The Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy in the Division of Criminal Justice of the Department of Law and Public Safety administers the Victim-Witness Advocacy Program. This program provides grants to non-profit organizations and public entities that provide direct services including shelter to victims and witnesses of crime. The fund established by this bill would specifically fund and support domestic violence shelters, and would be administered by the Office of Victim-Witness Advocacy. With growing demands for services to families, programs such as this Domestic Violence Shelter Fund would help make a difference in many lives.