S3742WEST SENATE,VIRGINIA No.LEGISLATURE REGULAR SESSION Introduced House Bill 4502 FISCAL NOTE By Delegates Hott, Fehrenbacher, Chiarelli, Zatezalo, Anderson, Jennings, Heckert, Mallow, Green, G.

3742Howell, STATEand OFWillis NEW[Introduced JERSEYJanuary 222nd19, LEGISLATURE2026;   INTRODUCED MARCH 5, 2026     Sponsored by:

Senator referred JONto M.the Committee on Energy and Public Works] Intr HB 2026R2118 A BILL to amend and reenact §17A-3-14 of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to license plates;

BRAMNICKand Districtauthorizing 21the (Middlesex,Division Morris,of SomersetMotor andVehicles Union)to Senator issue KRISTINa M.special registration plate for autism awareness.

CORRADOBe Districtit 40enacted (Bergen,by Essexthe andLegislature Passaic)of  West Co-SponsoredVirginia: by:

SenatorARTICLE McKnight3.         SYNOPSIS      Creates special license plates supporting Autism Awareness.

 ORIGINAL CURRENTAND VERSIONRENEWAL OF TEXTREGISTRATION;      As introduced.

  ISSUANCE AnOF ActCERTIFICATES creatingOF specialTITLE. license plates supporting Autism Awareness and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes.

 §17A-3-14.      Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

 Registration     plates 1.   generally; a.

 Upondescription proper application, the Chief Administrator of theplates; New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue special license plates supporting Autism Awareness for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State.  In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plate shall display appropriate words or a slogan supporting Autism Awareness.  The chief administrator shall select the design and color scheme, in consultation with the Governor’s Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism, established in the Department of Health, pursuant to section 4 of P.L.1999, c.105 (C.30:6D-59).  Autism Awareness license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.

     b.    Application for issuance of Autismspecial Awarenessnumbers license plates shall be made to the chief administrator on forms and inplates; 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 commission, which 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 Autism Awareness license plate, a $10 fee for the license plate 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 “Autism Awareness License Plate Fund” created pursuant to subsection c.

ofregistration thisfees; section.

     c.   There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsingapplication fundfees; to be known as the “Autism Awareness License Plate Fund.”  There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from all license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection b.

ofexemptions; this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to subsection d.

ofcommissioner this section.  Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to thepromulgate Universityforms; of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, to be expended in consultation with the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism.  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 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).

    suspension d.   and Priornonrenewal. to the deposit into the fund of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b.

suspension of thisregistration; section, 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:

    electronic (1)  signatures. designing, producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Autism Awareness license plates;

and(a)     The (2)  division, anyupon computerregistering programminga changesvehicle, thatshall mayissue beto initiallythe necessaryowner toone implementregistration theplate Autismwith Awarenessa licenseregistration platenumber programconsisting establishedof bya P.L.    ,combination c.   of (C.        )letters, (pendingnumerals, beforesymbols, theor Legislaturecharacters asin thisa bill).configuration determined by the commissioner.

    (b) TheRegistration chiefplates administratorissued shall annually certify to the State Treasurer the average cost per license plate incurred in the immediately preceding year by the commissiondivision in producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the Autism Awareness license plates.  The annual certification of the average cost per license plate shall bemeet approved by the Jointfollowing Budgetrequirements: Oversight Committee, or its successor.

    (1) InPlates themust eventincorporate thatreflectorized thematerial. 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 in subsection b.

of(2) thisRegistration sectionnumbers inshall twobe consecutiveplainly fiscalreadable years,from the100 chieffeet administratorduring maydaylight. discontinue the issuance of Autism Awareness license plates.

    (3) e.     The chiefcommissioner administratormay shallassign notifyany eligibleadditional motoristsfeature of the opportunity to obtainfacilitate Autismreciprocal Awarenessagreements, licensefacilitate platesinterstate bytravel, publicizingpromote thehighway availabilitysafety, of the license plates on the website of the commission.  The Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism, and any other individual or entitypromote designated by the Governor'sefficient Counciloperation for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism, may publicize the availabilitydivision. of Autism Awareness license plates in any manner the council deems appropriate.       f.     The chief administrator and the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism 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).

    (c) g.    The Governor'scommissioner Councilmay forsuspend Medicalthe Researchregistration and Treatment of Autismany shallowner appoint a representative who shalldisplays act as a liaisondamaged betweenor theillegible organizationplate andor theotherwise commission. fails Theto liaisoncomply shallwith represent the Governor'srequirements Councilof for§17A-3-19 Medical Research and Treatment of Autism in any and all communications with the commission regarding the Autism Awareness license plates established by P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).code.

 (d)     The 2.   division a.may issue a special registration plate for autism awareness as follows:

 No(1) StateUpon orappropriate otherapplication, publicthe fundsdivision shallmay beissue useda special registration plate designed by the commissioncommissioner for any number of vehicles titled in the initialname costof of:the qualified applicant.

    Intr (1)  HB designing,2026R2118 producing,(2) issuing,The anddivision publicizingshall thecharge availabilitya special one-time initial application fee of Autism$10 Awarenessin licenseaddition plates;to all other fees required by law.

orThis     special (2)  fee anyshall computer programming changes which may be necessarycollected toby implement the Autismdivision Awarenessand licensedeposited platein program established by P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the LegislatureState asRoad thisFund. bill).

    (3) b.   An Aannual representativefee designated by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism$15 shall contribute monies in an amount to be determinedcharged 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,each producing,plate issuing,in andaddition publicizing the availability of Autism Awareness license plates, and any computer programming which may be necessary to implementall the program.  To further offset the initial costs incurred by the commission for the Autism Awareness license plates authorized by P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill), other concernedfees organizationsrequired and individual donors may contribute monies to the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism, or the individual or entity designated by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism, for this purpose. chapter. Any amount remaining after the payment of the initial costs shall be deposited in the “Autism Awareness License Plate Fund” established pursuant to subsection c.

of(d)(e) sectionAny 1license ofplate P.L.    ,issued c.   or (C.        )renewed (pendingpursuant beforeto thethis Legislaturechapter aswhich thisis bill).paid for by a check that is returned for nonsufficient funds is void without further notice to the applicant.

     c.     The commissionapplicant shallmay not beginreinstate designing,the producing,registration issuing,until orthe publicizingreturned thecheck availabilityis ofpaid Autismby Awarenessthe licenseapplicant plates,in cash, money order, or makingcertified anycheck necessaryand programmingall changes,applicable untilfees theassessed followingas requirementsa result thereof have been met:paid.

    (e)(f) (1)  In Thefurtherance individual or entity designated by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism has provided the commissionUniform withElectronic theTransactions moneyAct, necessary,§39A-1-1 aset determinedseq. by the chief administrator pursuant to subsection b.

of this section,code, tothe offsetdivision may accept or authorize an electronic signature in any instance the initiallaw costsrequired incurredto be enforced by the commissioncommissioner inrequires establishinga thesignature Autismor Awarenessa licensepen plateand program;ink signature.

andNOTE:      (2)   The liaison appointed by the Governor's Council for Medical Research and Treatment of Autism pursuant to subsection g.

ofThe sectionpurpose 1 of P.L.    ,this c.   bill (C.        )is (pendingto beforeauthorize the LegislatureDivision asof thisMotor bill)Vehicles hasto providedissue thespecial commissionregistration withplates not less than 500 completed applications for Autismautism Awarenessawareness. license plates.  These applications shall constitute the initial order for Autism Awareness license plates and shall be accompanied by a fee representing the total cost of the initial order.

 TheStrike-throughs feeindicate shalllanguage bethat determinedwould bybe multiplyingstricken thefrom numbera ofheading setsor of license plates being ordered by the applicablepresent initiallaw feeand forunderscoring eachindicates setnew oflanguage licensethat plateswould asbe setadded. forth in subsection b.

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

       3.    This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the first day of the 13th month following the date on which the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c.

of section 2 of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) have been satisfied.  The chief administrator may take anticipatory actions in advance of that date as may be necessary for the timely implementation of P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill).  P.L.    , c.    (C.        ) (pending before the Legislature as this bill) shall expire if the conditions set forth in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection c.