SENATE LAW AND PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

SENATE, No. 54

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JUNE 6, 1996

      The Senate Law and Public Safety Committee reports favorably Senate Bill No.54. 

      This bill directs the Division of the Motor Vehicles (DMV) within the Department of Transportation to establish a special Liberty State Park license plate program. The special plates would contain markings or identification expressing the vehicle owner's support for, or interest in, Liberty State Park. The Director of the DMV would select the design of the license plate after soliciting, in conjunction with the Legislature, input from the general public and reviewing those submissions. A $50 fee will be charged for the issuance of the plates, and an additional $10 fee will be collected for each annual renewal.

      The bill creates in the Department of Environmental Protection a special non-lapsing "Liberty State Park License Plate Fund." All license plate fees collected pursuant to the bill, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the DMV for administrative costs would be deposited in the fund. Monies deposited in the fund would be dedicated for support and funding of projects and programs at Liberty State Park.

      Under the provisions of the bill, costs incurred by the DMV in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing Liberty State Park license plates, as annually certified by the director, would be reimbursed from the fees collected. The bill also authorizes DMV to use a portion of the fees collected to pay for the cost of any computer programming changes that may be necessary to implement the license plate program.

      The bill directs the DMV to include in all mailings of motor vehicle registration renewals a notice of the availability of Liberty State Park license plates.

      The bill requires the Joint Budget Oversight Committee to approve the DMV's annual certification of the average cost to produce, issue, renew, and publicize the availability of a license plate. If the average annual cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the DMV would be authorized to 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.