A-1786

Sponsored by: Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex)

STATEMENT

This bill authorizes the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (commission) to issue Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates. The chief administrator is to select the design of the license plates in consultation with the Ancient Order of Hibernians, New Jersey State Board (the organization).

In addition to the required motor vehicle registration fees, there is an application fee of $50 and an annual renewal fee of $10 for these license plates. After deducting the cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the license plates and any computer programming changes that are necessary to implement the license plate program, in an amount not to exceed $150,000, the additional fees are to be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Ancient Order of Hibernians License Plate Fund.” The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the organization.

The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates. If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plates.

The bill also requires the organization to appoint a liaison to represent the organization in all communications with the commission regarding the license plates.

The bill provides that no State or other public funds may be used by the commission for the initial cost of producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plate program.

The bill also requires that the organization, or other individual or entity designated by the organization, contribute monies in an amount to be determined by the chief administrator, not to exceed a total of $25,000, to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program.

The bill prohibits the commission from designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, or making any necessary computer programming changes, until: (1) the organization, or its designee, has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Ancient Order of Hibernians license plate program; and (2) the organization’s liaison has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates, upon the availability for purchase of those plates.

The chief administrator is responsible for publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission’s website. The organization, or any individual or entity designated by the organization, may also publicize the availability of Ancient Order of Hibernians license plates in any manner the organization deems appropriate.

The provisions of the bill remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the organization or its designee. The bill expires on the last day of the 12th month following enactment if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.