New Jersey A 4583: Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on Arts.

Bill Text

A4583 

ASSEMBLY, No. 4583 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

� 

INTRODUCED MARCH 10, 2026

Sponsored by:

Assemblywoman� CAROL A. MURPHY

District 7 (Burlington)

SYNOPSIS

���� Authorizes special "We Support the Arts" 
license plates with proceeds to New Jersey State Council on the Arts.� 

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT 

���� As introduced.

�� 

An Act 
concerning license plates and supplementing chapter 3 of Title 39 of the 
Revised Statutes.

���� Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of 
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� Upon proper application, 
the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission shall issue 
support the arts license plates 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 support the arts license 
plate shall display the slogan �We Support the Arts.�� The chief administrator 
shall choose the design, including an emblem and color scheme, based upon the 
results of a Statewide contest for the design of the plates.

���� 2.��� Application for issuance 
of a support the arts license plate 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 shall be in addition to the 
fee otherwise prescribed by law for the registration of motor vehicles.� The 
chief administrator shall collect annually, subsequent to the year of issuance 
of the support the arts 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.

���� 3.��� a.� There shall be 
deposited into a special non-lapsing account to be known as the �Support the 
Arts Fund� the additional application and renewal fees collected pursuant to 
section 2 of this act and any interest earned thereon, less the amounts 
necessary to reimburse the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for 
administrative costs pursuant to this section.� The monies in the fund shall be 
distributed to the New Jersey State Council on the Arts in the Department of 
State, established pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1966 c.214 (C.52:16A-25) to 
support the arts in New Jersey.

���� b.��� Prior to the deposit of 
license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act into the fund, 
amounts thereof as are necessary shall be used to reimburse the commission for 
costs reasonably and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administrator, 
for producing, issuing, renewing and publicizing the availability of support 
the arts license plates, including the cost of any initial computer programming 
changes.

���� c.���� The chief administrator 
annually shall 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 support the 
arts license plates.� The annual certification of the average cost per license 
plate shall be approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its 
successor.

���� d.��� 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 section 2 of this act in two consecutive 
fiscal years, the chief administrator may discontinue the issuance of support 
the arts license plates.

���� 4.��� The chief administrator 
shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain support the arts 
license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration 
renewals and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all commission facilities 
and offices.� The notices, posters and signs shall be designed by the 
commission, after consultation with the artist who submitted the winning 
design.

���� 5.��� a.� State or public 
funds shall not be used by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission for the 
initial cost of: 

���� (1)�� designing, producing, 
issuing, and publicizing the availability of support the arts license plates; 
or 

���� (2)�� any computer 
programming changes which may be necessary to implement the support the arts 
license plate program established by P.L.�� , c.��� (C.�� ��) (pending before 
the Legislature as this bill). 

���� b.��� The New Jersey State 
Council on the Arts, or an individual or entity designated by the New Jersey 
State Council on the Arts, 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 support the arts 
license plates, and any computer programming w