SENATE, No. 541

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JANUARY 29, 1996

 

 

By Senator BASSANO

 

 

An Act providing for the issuance of Game Fish 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. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall, upon proper application therefor, issue game fish 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 game fish license plate shall display the words "game fish" and a depiction of a striped bass.

 

    2. Application for a game fish license plate shall be made to the Division of Motor Vehicles on forms and in a manner prescribed by the director and shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, which shall be in addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of the motor vehicle. The annual renewal of a registration certificate of a motor vehicle that has been issued a game fish license plate shall be accompanied by an additional fee of $10. The $50 application fee and $10 renewal fee shall be deposited by the division in the Game Fish License Plate Fund created pursuant to section 3 of this act.

 

    3. There is created in the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Game Fish License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited into the fund the additional application and renewal fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act and any interest earned thereon, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the division for administrative costs pursuant to section 4 of this act. Monies deposited in the fund shall be dedicated for marine fisheries conservation management and research.

 

    4. a. Prior to the deposit of license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act into the fund, amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the Division of Motor Vehicles for costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the director for producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of game fish license plates, including the cost of any initial computer programming changes.

    b. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall annually certify to the Director of the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the division in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of game fish license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor.

    c. 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 section 2 of this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the director may discontinue the issuance of game fish license plates.

 

    5. The Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain game fish 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 Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the Director of the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, subject to the approval of the Director of the Division of Motor Vehicles. The Director of the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife shall supply the Division of Motor Vehicles with the notices, posters, and signs to be circulated or posted by that division.

 

    6. The Directors of the Division of Motor Vehicles and the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, and the State Treasurer shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed by the divisions in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.

 

    7. This act shall take effect on the 180th day after enactment, but the Director of the Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife, 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 direct the the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) in the Department of Law and Public Safety to establish a special game fish license plate program. The special plates would contain the words "game fish" and a picture depicting a striped bass. A $50 application fee would be charged for the issuance of the plates, and an additional $10 fee would be collected for each annual renewal.

    The bill would create in the Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Fish, Game and Wildlife a special non-lapsing "Game Fish License Plate Fund." All license plate fees collected pursuant to the bill, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the DMV for administrative costs as provided in the bill, would be deposited in the fund. Monies deposited in the fund would be dedicated for marine fisheries conservation, management and research.

    Costs incurred by the DMV in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing game fish license plates, as annually certified by the director, would be reimbursed from the fees collected. DMV would also be authorized 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 would direct the DMV to include in all mailings of motor vehicle registration renewals a notice of the availability of game fish license plates.

    The bill would require 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 division would be authorized to discontinue the issuance of these license plates.

 

 

                             

 

Authorizes game fish license plate to support wildlife.