SENATE, No. 2122

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED JUNE 5, 1997

 

 

By Senator EWING

 

 

An Act concerning the fixing of fees collected for dog licenses and the disposition thereof, and amending P.L.1941, c.151.

 

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 

    1. Section 11 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.11) is amended to read as follows:

    11. a. License fees and other moneys collected or received under the provisions of sections 3, 8, 9 and 16 of this act, except registration tag fees, shall be forwarded to the treasurer of the municipality within 30 days after collection or receipt and shall be placed in a special account separate from any of the other accounts of the municipality and , except as provided in subsection b. of this section, shall be used for the following purposes only; for collecting, keeping and disposing of dogs liable to seizure under this act or under local dog control ordinances; for local prevention and control of rabies; for providing antirabic treatment under the direction of the local board of health for any person known or suspected to have been exposed to rabies, for payment of damage to or losses of poultry and domestic animals, except dogs and cats, caused by a dog or dogs and for administering the provisions of this act. Any unexpended balance remaining in such special account shall be retained therein until the end of the third fiscal year following and may be used for any of the purposes set forth in this section. At the end of the said third fiscal year following, and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be transferred from such special account to the general funds of the municipality any amount then in such account which is in excess of the total amount paid into said special account during the last 2 fiscal years next preceding.

    The registration tag fee for each dog shall be forwarded within 30 days after collection by the clerk or other official designated to license dogs to the State Department of Health which department shall forward said sum to the State Treasurer who shall place all such moneys in a special account for use only by the State Department of Health in administering this act and for the prevention and control of rabies throughout the State, and such account is hereby declared to be a trust fund not subject to legislative appropriation. At the end of the third fiscal year following the adoption of this act and at the end of each fiscal year thereafter, there shall be withdrawn from this trust fund and transferred to the general funds of the State any amount then in such fund which is in excess of the total amount paid into such fund during the last 2 fiscal years next preceding.

    b. Of the license fees collected or received under the provisions of section 3 of P.L.1941, c. 151 (C.4:19-15.3) for dog licenses and each renewal thereof , $4 shall be dedicated by the municipality receiving the fees for the spaying or neutering of cats and dogs.

(cf: P.L.1981, c. 235, s. 3)

 

    2. Section 12 of P.L.1941, c.151 (C.4:19-15.12) is amended to read as follows:

    12. a. The governing body of each municipality may, by ordinance, fix the sum to be paid annually for a dog license and each renewal thereof, as required by section 3 of this act, which sum shall be not less than [$1.50] $8 nor more than [$7.00] $16; provided however, that the governing body may by ordinance, provide for a reduction or waiver of the sum to be paid by an owner who presents a certificate signed by a licensed veterinarian stating that the dog has been spayed or neutered. In the absence of any local ordinance, the fee for all dog licenses shall be [$1.50] $8.

    b. The governing body of each municipality, may, by ordinance, fix the sum to be paid for a 3-year dog license and each renewal thereof, which sum shall be not more than 3 times the sum charged for an annual license under subsection a. of this section. In the absence of such a local ordinance, the license fee for a 3-year dog license shall be [$4.50] $24. The Department of Health shall promulgate appropriate regulations concerning veterinarians' certificates for rabies inoculations of dogs for 3-year periods in connection with licenses issued under this subsection.

(cf: P.L.1978, c.168, s.1.)

 

    3. This act shall take effect on January 1 following enactment.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

    This bill dedicates $4 of each fee collected by a municipality for a dog license for the paying or neutering of cats and dogs. Furthermore, the bill increases the sum allowed to be charged by a municipality by ordinance for a dog license or the renewal thereof from not less than $1.50 and not more than $7 to not less than $8 and not more than $16. The bill also increases the fee for a dog license in the absence of a municipal ordinance from $1.50 to $8.

 

 

                             

Dedicates $4 of each dog license fee to spaying or neutering and increases minimum and maximum fees for such licenses.