A5519: Authorizes creation and issuance of veteran license plates.

A5519 ASSEMBLY, No. 5519 STATE OF NEW JERSEY 222nd LEGISLATURE INTRODUCED SEPTEMBER 17, 2026 Sponsored by: Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR. District 5 (Camden and Gloucester) Assemblyman WAYNE P. DEANGELO District 14 (Mercer and Middlesex) Assemblywoman CLEOPATRA G. TUCKER District 28 (Essex and Union) Co-Sponsored by: Assemblyman Karabinchak, Assemblywomen Kane, Morales and Reynolds-Jackson SYNOPSIS Authorizes creation and issuance of veteran license plates. CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT As introduced. An Act authorizing the creation and issuance of veteran license plates and supplementing Title 39 of the Revised Statutes. Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey: 1. a. As used in this section, "veteran" means a person who is classified as a veteran pursuant to N.J.S.38A:21-3, as evidenced by the applicant's DD-214 form or on a Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty, and has been honorably discharged. b. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue a veteran license plate for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered by a veteran in this State. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plates shall, at a minimum, bear the word "Veteran ." The chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, shall select the design and color scheme of the veteran license plates, which shall be distinctively different from any license plate issued by the commission. The veteran license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise provided. c. Application for issuance of the veteran license plates shall be made to the chief administrator on forms and in a manner prescribed by the chief administrator. In order to be deemed complete, an application shall be accompanied by a fee of $50, payable to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, which fee shall be in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle. The chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance of the veteran license plates, a $10 fee for the license plates in addition to the fees otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of a motor vehicle . The additional fees required by this subsection shall be deposited in the "Veteran License Plate Fund" created pursuant to subsection d. of this section. d. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "Veteran License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from all license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection c. of this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to subsection e. of this section. The monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the Department of Veterans Affairs and shall be used to recognize veterans and provide benefits to veterans. Monies deposited in the fund shall be held in interest-bearing accounts in public depositories, as defined pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1970, c.236 (C.17:9-41), and may be invested or reinvested in securities approved by the State Treasurer. Interest or other income earned on monies deposited into the fund, and any monies which may be appropriated or otherwise become available for purposes of the fund, shall be credited to and deposited in the fund for use as set forth in P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). e. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection c. of this section into the "Veteran License Plate Fund," amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for all costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, for: (1) designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the veteran license plates; and (2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the veteran license plate program in an amount not to exceed $150,000. The chief administrator shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commission in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the veteran license plates. The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee or its successor. In the event that the average cost per license plate, as certified by the chief administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is greater than the $50 application fee established pursuant to subsection c. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of the veteran license plates. f. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain the veteran license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the commission's website. The Department of Veterans Affairs, and any other individual or entity designated by the department, may publicize the availability of the veteran license plates in any manner that the department deems appropriate. g. The chief administrator and the commissioner shall develop and enter into a memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). h. The Department of Veterans Affairs shall appoint an individual to act as a liaison between the department and the commission. The liaison shall represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding the veteran license plates established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). 2. a. State or public funds shall not be used by the commission for the initial cost of: (1) designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of the veteran license plates; or (2) any computer programming changes that may be necessary to implement the veteran license plate program established by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). b. An individual or entity designated by the Department of Veterans Affairs shall contribute non-public 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 designing, producing, issuing, and publicizing the availability of the veteran license plates, and any computer programming that may be necessary to implement the program. Concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Department of Veterans Affairs to be used to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the veteran license plates authorized by P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial cost shall be deposited in the "Veteran License Plate Fund" established pursuant to subsection d. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). c. The commission shall not begin designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of veteran license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until the following requirements have been met: (1) an individual or entity designated by the Department of Veterans Affairs has provided the commission with the non-public monies necessary, as determined by the chief administrator pursuant to subsection b. of this section, to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the veteran license plate program; and (2) the liaison appointed by the Department of Veterans Affairs pursuant to subsection h. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) has provided the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for veteran license plates. These applications shall constitute the initial order for veteran license plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing the total cost of the initial order. The fee shall be determined by multiplying the number of sets of license plates being ordered by the applicable initial fee for each set of license plates as set forth in subsection c. of section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill). 3. The surviving spouse of a deceased veteran, who is eligible to operate a motor vehicle in this State under the provisions of R.S.39:3-10, may retain the special license plates obtained by the deceased spouse pursuant to section 1 of P.L. , c. (C. ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) for display on a motor vehicle owned or leased by the surviving spouse. 4. This act shall take effect immediately but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act have been satisfied. The chief administrator may take anticipatory acts in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of this act. This act shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c. of section 2 of this act are not satisfied by the last day of the 12th month following enactment. STATEMENT This bill requires the Chief Administrator (chief administrator) of the New Jersey Motor Vehicles Commission to issue special veteran license plates for motor vehicles owned or leased and registered by veterans in this State. The veteran license plates, as designed by the chief administrator, in consultation with the Commissioner of the Department of Veterans Affairs, are required to bear the word "Veteran" and to be distinctly different from any license plate issued by the commission. In addition to all fees otherwise required by law for the registration of a motor vehicle, there is a $50 application fee and a $10 annual renewal fee for the veteran license plates. After deducting the costs to implement the license plates, the monies collected from the license plates are to be deposited in a special non-lapsing fund known as the "Veteran License Plate Fund." The monies deposited in the fund are to be appropriated annually to the department to be used to recognize veterans and to provide benefits to veterans. The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the specialty license plates. If the average cost per plate exceeds $50 in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the veteran license plate program. The bill also requires the department to appoint an individual to represent the department in all communications with the commission regarding veteran license plates. The bill provides that State or other public funds are not to be used for the initial costs of establishing the veteran license plate program. In addition, prior to designing, producing, issuing, or publicizing the availability of veteran license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, the following requirements are required to be met: (1) an individual or entity designated by the department is required to provide the commission with the non-public monies necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the veteran license plate program; and (2) a liaison appointed by the department pursuant to the floor substitute is required to provide the commission with not less than 500 completed applications for veteran license plates. Additionally, the bill allows the surviving spouse of a deceased veteran, who is eligible to operate a motor vehicle in this State, to retain the special license plates obtained by the deceased veteran spouse for display on a motor vehicle owned or leased by the surviving spouse. The provisions of the bill will remain inoperative until the first day of the seventh month after the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided to the commission. The bill is to expire on the last day of the 12th month if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received by that date.