LEGISLATIVE FISCAL ESTIMATE TO

[Second Reprint]

SENATE, No. 1302

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: JANUARY 3, 1997

      Senate Bill No. 1302 (2R) of 1996 would implement the provisions of the federal "Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994," Pub.L. 103-202, which prohibits States from disclosing personal information contained in motor vehicle records except under certain, specified circumstances.

      The Department of Transportation has verbally informed the Office of Legislative Services (OLS) that, as of December 13, 1996, the department has not yet completed its internal review of a draft fiscal note on this bill. However, department approval and subsequent release of the fiscal note to OLS is expected within the next several days.

      In anticipation of more refined data from the department, OLS would still infer that, under this bill, the Division of Motor Vehicles will incur additional operating costs to insure that only valid requests for motor vehicle data are answered and that proper records are maintained attesting to the validity and response to such valid requests. The level of additional operating costs is still under active review by the department. In addition, OLS would infer that the $11 million in annual revenue estimated to be received by the DMV as part of its proposal to provide on-line, computerized motor vehicle data to approved, large volume requesters may be overstated. This inference of a lower, but not yet quantified revenue amount is predicated on recent legislative initiatives that further restrict the pool of eligible requesters of motor vehicle data.

      This OLS fiscal estimate will be updated following receipt of the department's official submission of a fiscal note on this bill.

This legislative fiscal estimate has been produced by the Office of Legislative Services due to the failure of the Executive Branch to respond to our request for a fiscal note.

This fiscal estimate has been prepared pursuant to P.L.1980, c.67.