S 1548 — Authorizes special Support Our Veterans license plate with proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veteran's centers.

S1548 1R [First Reprint] SENATE, No.

  CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT      IntroducedAs Pendingreported Technicalby Reviewthe bySenate LegislativeMilitary Counsel.and Veterans' Affairs Committee on May 21, 2026, with amendments.

The chief administrator, in consultation with the New Jersey Department of Military1[Military andand]1 Veterans Affairs, shall choose the design, including an emblem and a color scheme.  “Support Our Veterans” license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as provided pursuant to P.L.   , c.    (C.        )P.L.   , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

The monies in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the Veterans Haven 1North Council and the Veterans Haven South1 Council within the Division of Veterans Services in the New Jersey Department of Military1[Military andand]1 Veterans Affairs, established pursuant to P.L.2011,1[P.L.2011, c.170 (C.38A:3-47 et seq.),seq.)] N.J.S.38A:21-11, to support services for the benefit of veterans housed at the Veterans Haven 1North facility and the Veterans Haven South1 facility and duties of the council. 1[council] councils1.  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 such securities as are approved by the State Treasurer.  Interest or other income earned on monies deposited in the fund, and any monies which may be appropriated or otherwise become available for the 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).

     f.f.  The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain 1“1Support Our Veterans1”1 license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission.  1[The] Each1 Veterans Haven 1[Council] council1, and any other individual or entity designated by 1[the Veterans Haven Council] a council1, may publicize the availability of “Support 1[our] Our1 Veterans” license plates in any manner the 1[Veterans Haven Council] respective council1 deems appropriate.       g.    The chief administrator and 1[the Veterans Haven Council] each council1 shall develop and enter into an interagency 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).

 The     chiefh.    administratorThe shallVeterans notifyHaven eligible1North motoristsCouncil ofand the opportunityVeterans toHaven obtainSouth1 SupportCouncil Ourshall Veterans1each1 licenseappoint platesa byrepresentative publicizingwho theshall availabilityact ofas thea licenseliaison platesbetween on the websitecouncil ofand the commission.  The Veteransliaison Havenshall Council,represent and any other individual or entity designated by the Veterans1[Veterans Haven Council,Council] mayrespective publicizecouncil1 the availability of “Support our Veterans” license plates in any mannerand theall Veteranscommunications Havenwith Council deems appropriate.       g.    The chief administrator and the Veteranscommission Havenregarding Council shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures“Support toOur beVeterans” followedlicense inplates carryingestablished outby their respective responsibilities under P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

       h.   2.    Thea.  VeteransNo HavenState Councilor shallother appointpublic afunds representative who shall actbe asused aby liaison between the council and the commission.  The liaison shall represent the Veterans Haven Council in any and all communications with the commission regardingfor the “Supportinitial Ourcost Veterans”of: license plates established by P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

      2.    a.  No State or other public funds shall be used by the commission for the initial cost of:

     b.    The Veterans Haven 1North Council and Veterans Haven South1 Council or other1[other] an1 individual or entity designated by the Veterans1[Veterans Haven Council,Council] respective council1, shall 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 “Support Our Veterans” license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implement the program.  To further help offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the special license plates authorized by P.L.    , c.    (C.        )P.L.    , c.    (C.         ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), other concerned organizations and individual donors may contribute monies to the Veterans1[Veterans Haven Council,Council] councils1, or an individual or entity designated by the Veterans1[Veterans Haven Council,Council] respective council1, for this purpose.  Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial costs shall be deposited in the “Support Our Veterans License Plate Fund” established pursuant to subsection c.

of section 1 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        )P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

     (1)   The Veterans Haven 1North Council and the Veterans Haven South1 Council1,1 or the individual or entity designated by the Veterans1[Veterans Haven Council,Council] respective council1, has provided the commission with the money necessary, as determined by the chief administrator pursuant to subsection b.

and      (2)   The liaison appointed by the Veterans Haven 1North1 Council 1or the Veterans Haven South Council, as appropriate,1 pursuant to subsection h.

of section 1 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        )c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).

       3.    This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperable 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.

    STATEMENT         This bill authorizes a special Support Our Veterans license plate with the proceeds supporting New Jersey homeless veterans’ centers, Veterans Haven, North and South.

     The design of the license plate would be chosen by the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission in consultation with the Division of Veterans' Services in the New Jersey Department of Military and Veterans Affairs (NJDMAVA).

     There is a $50 initial fee, in addition to the registration fees required by law, with a $10 annual fee, in addition to the renewal fees required by law.  The additional fees, after the deduction of the cost of producing and publicizing the plates, will be deposited into a special non-lapsing fund known as the “Support Our Veterans License Plate Fund.”  The proceeds of the fund are to be annually appropriated to the Veterans Haven Council within the (NJDMAVA).

     The chief administrator is required to annually certify the average cost per license plate in producing, issuing, and publicizing the Support Our Veterans license plates.  If the average cost exceeds $50 for two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the license plate program.

     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 Support Our Veterans license plates or any computer programming changes which may be necessary to implement the Support Our Veterans license plate program.

     The bill also requires that the Veterans Haven Council or other individual or entity designated by the Veterans Haven Council, 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 Support Our Veterans 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 Support Our Veterans license plates, or making any necessary programming changes, until:

(1) the Veterans Haven Council, or its designee, has provided the commission with the money necessary to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission in establishing the Support Our Veterans license plate program;

and (2) the Veterans Haven Council, or its designee, has provided the commission with a minimum of 500 completed applications for Support Our Veterans 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 Veterans Haven Council or any individual or entity designated by the Veterans Haven Council, may also publicize the availability of Support Our Veterans license plates in any manner the Veterans Haven Council deems appropriate.

     The provisions of the bill remain inoperative until the appropriate applications and fees required to offset the initial costs incurred by the commission are provided by the board, and the bill expires after 12 months if sufficient applications and fees to offset the initial costs are not received.