§ 39:3-27 — 168 State animal license plates.

1. a. Upon proper application, the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue State Animal license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in this State. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plates shall display the words "State Animal," and an emblem indicating that the horse is the official New Jersey State Animal. The chief administrator shall, in consultation with the Secretary of Agriculture, select the design and color scheme of the State Animal license plates. The State Animal 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 State Animal 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 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 State Animal 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 "State Animal License Plate Fund" created pursuant to subsection c. of this section. c. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the "State Animal License Plate Fund." There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected from all license plate fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for the administrative costs pursuant to subsection d. of this section. Monies deposited in the fund shall be appropriated annually to the New Jersey Department of Agriculture to support any departmental program to support the health and welfare of horses and to provide equine-assisted therapeutic programs to individuals with special needs in the State. 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 this section. d. Prior to the deposit of the additional fees collected pursuant to subsection b. of this section into the "State Animal 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 State Animal license plates; and (2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the State Animal 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 State Animal 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 in subsection b. of this section in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of State Animal license plates. e. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain State Animal license plates by publicizing the availability of the license plates on the website of the commission. The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, and any other individual or entity designated by the department, may publicize the availability of the license plates in any manner the department deems appropriate. f. The chief administrator and the Secretary of Agriculture 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.2023, c.292 (C.39:3-27.168 et seq.). g. The Secretary of Agriculture shall appoint a representative who shall act as a liaison between the department and the commission. The liaison shall represent the department in any and all communications with the commission regarding the license plates established by P.L.2023, c.292 (C.39:3-27.168 et seq.). L.2023, c.292, s.1.