SENATE STATE GOVERNMENT COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 211

with committee amendments

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: MAY 9, 1996

      The Senate State Government Committee reports favorably and with committee amendments Senate, No. 211.

      This bill directs the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to establish Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum and other specially designated maritime history or marine life preservation projects license plates. The special plates would contain markings or identification expressing the vehicle owner's interest in supporting the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum or other department designated maritime history or marine life protection projects. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles would select the design of the license plate, after soliciting, in conjunction with the Legislature, input from the general public and reviewing the submissions before choosing the design. A $50 fee would be charged for the issuance of the plates, and an additional $10 fee would be collected for each annual renewal.

      Costs incurred by the DMV, in producing, issuing, renewing, making computer programming changes in connection with and publicizing Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum and other maritime history or marine life preservation project license plates, as annually certified by the director, would be defrayed from fees collected.

      The bill directs DMV to include in all mailings of motor vehicle registration renewals a notice on the availability of the special license plates. Finally, the bill requires the Joint Budget Oversight Committee to approve the Division of Motor Vehicle's annual certification of the average cost to produce, issue and renew a license plate. If the average annual cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the division may discontinue the issuance of these license plates

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

COMMITTEE AMENDMENTS

      The committee amended the bill to: 1) change a reference to the Division of Motor Vehicles from being in the Department of Law and Public Safety, as it was formerly, to being in the Department of Transportation, as it is currently; and 2) include the cost of making computer programming changes in connection with the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen's Museum and other maritime history or marine life preservation project license plates in the annual certification of the average cost thereof.