Steps 1 & 2 already taken to help Fund F&W

[CaptTB]

S2849/A4039 (Van Drew/Albano) Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for fish and wildlife management and conservation.

S2856/A4016 (Van Drew/Milam/Albano) Establishes flat digital striped bass motor vehicle license plates.

I hope to see a groundswell of support for these initiatives by those organizations and individuals constantly complaining that "nothing is being done" and "I've heard about a license plate for years" yadda yadda yadda. I'm sure it will be accompanied by excuses for not supporting this time, but I remain optimistic!

[IrishAyes]

I always check 'NO' for political donations on the income tax form. For the F&W I will check 'Yes'.

Figure on going for the license plate when it comes out. Hope it's soon. 

[Hotrod]

 

[njdiver]

SENATE, No. 2849


STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE


INTRODUCED MAY 12, 2011

Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)


SYNOPSIS
Provides for voluntary contributions by taxpayers on gross income tax returns for fish and wildlife management and conservation.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.


An Act concerning voluntary contributions through gross income tax returns to support fish and wildlife management and conservation, supplementing chapter 9 of Title 54A of the New Jersey Statutes.

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

1. a. There is established in the Department of the Treasury a special fund to be known as the “Fish and Wildlife Management and Conservation Fund.”

b. Each taxpayer shall have the opportunity to indicate on the taxpayer’s New Jersey gross income tax return that a portion of the taxpayer’s tax refund or an enclosed contribution shall be deposited in the special fund.

c. Any costs incurred by the Division of Taxation for collection or administration attributable to this act may be deducted from receipts collected pursuant to this act, as determined by the Director of the Division of Budget and Accounting in the Department of the Treasury. The State Treasurer shall deposit net contributions collected pursuant to this section to the “Fish and Wildlife Management and Conservation Fund.”

d. The Legislature shall annually appropriate all funds deposited in the “Fish and Wildlife Management and Conservation Fund” to the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection for the purposes of fish and wildlife management conservation.


2. This act shall take effect immediately and apply to taxable years beginning on or after January 1 next following enactment.



STATEMENT

This bill establishes the “Fish and Wildlife Conservation Management Fund” and provides for a designation on the State gross income tax return that will permit taxpayers to make voluntary contributions to the fund to help support efforts and initiatives administered by the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection.

[njdiver]

SENATE, No. 2856


STATE OF NEW JERSEY
214th LEGISLATURE


INTRODUCED MAY 12, 2011


Sponsored by:
Senator JEFF VAN DREW
District 1 (Cape May, Atlantic and Cumberland)


SYNOPSIS
Establishes flat digital striped bass motor vehicle license plates.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.


An Act establishing flat digital “Striped Bass” 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 “Striped Bass” license plates for any motor vehicle owned or leased and registered in the State. The “Striped Bass” license plate shall be a flat digital license plate. For the purposes of this act, the term “flat digital license plate” shall mean a smooth license plate that is produced by a printer utilizing digitally controlled print heads. In addition to the registration number and other markings or identification otherwise prescribed by law, the license plate shall display the words “Striped Bass” and an emblem indicating support for, or interest in, marine fisheries in New Jersey. The license plate shall be designed by the chief administrator in consultation with the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection. “Striped Bass” license plates shall be subject to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 39 of the Revised Statutes, except as hereinafter otherwise specifically provided.

2. Application for issuance of a “Striped Bass” 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 “Striped Bass” 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 “Striped Bass License Plate Fund” created pursuant to section 3 of this act.

3. a. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the “Striped Bass License Plate Fund.” There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected for all license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to section 4 of this act.

b. Monies deposited in the fund shall be used by the Division of Fish and Wildlife in the Department of Environmental Protection, in consultation with the Marine Fisheries Council, to support a State registry program for saltwater recreational anglers modeled on the registry program established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. 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 act.

c. The State Treasurer shall provide an annual report to the Division of Fish and Wildlife on the status of the fund, and the commission shall provide an annual report to the State Treasurer documenting expenditures of monies from the fund.

4. Prior to the deposit of the additional 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 all costs reasonable and actually incurred, as stipulated by the chief administer, for:

(1) producing, issuing, renewing, and publicizing the availability of the “Striped Bass” license plates; and

(2) any computer programming changes that may be initially necessary to implement the “Striped Bass” license plate program established by this act, 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 “Striped Bass” 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 section 2 of this act in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator may increase the fee for a “Striped Bass” license plate to an amount which, as certified by the administrator and approved by the Joint Budget Oversight Committee, or its successor, is no greater than the average cost per license plate, or the administrator may discontinue the issuance of the “Striped Bass” license plates.

5. The chief administrator shall notify eligible motorists of the opportunity to obtain “Striped Bass” license plates by including a notice with all motor vehicle registration renewals and by posting appropriate posters or signs in all Motor Vehicle Commission facilities and offices. The notices, posters, and signs shall be designed by the commission after consultation with the Division of Fish and Wildlife.

6. The chief administrator, the State Treasurer, and the Director of the Division of Fish and Wildlife shall develop and enter into an interagency memorandum of agreement setting forth the procedures to be followed in carrying out their respective responsibilities under this act.

7. This act shall take effect immediately, but shall remain inoperative until the Chief Administrator of the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission certifies that the commission is able to issue the “Striped Bass” license plate as a flat digital license plate, but not later than the first day of the seventh month after enactment.




STATEMENT


This bill would authorize the production and distribution of a “Striped Bass” license plate. An initial application fee of $50 and an annual registration fee of $10 would be applied to support a State registry program for saltwater recreational anglers modeled on the registry program established by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The “Striped Bass” license plate would be a flat digital license plate.

In 2007, Congress reauthorized the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (Public Law 109-479), and included requirements for revising the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey and directing NOAA to establish a National Saltwater Angler Registry Program. Congress also authorized NOAA to collect a fee from saltwater anglers, beginning in the year 2011, to cover administrative costs associated with this registry. The purpose of the federal registry is to identify all saltwater anglers who can be contacted to obtain more accurate recreational fishery information to improve fisheries management.

The National Saltwater Angler Registry exempts anglers from the federal registry and its fee requirement if their state has its own registration or licensing system. New Jersey enacted legislation in February 2011 (P.L.2011, c.23) creating such a registry. Revenues from “Striped Bass” license plates will help to cover costs associated with the State saltwater fishing registry which is free for registrants.

In the event the cost of the license plate exceeds the application fee in two consecutive fiscal years, the chief administrator is authorized to either increase the fee or discontinue the plate's issuance.

[IrishAyes]

Although this is a step in the right direction, it's amazing (or is it, really) how the state ALREADY has put into action diversion of the funds collected. Of course there has to be a 'reasonable' reimbursement of the funds 'needed to administer' the license plate and donation to the fund thru the tax form. My problem is, WHO is going to deam the reimbursement amount 'reasonable'? 

3. a. There is created in the Department of the Treasury a special non-lapsing fund to be known as the “Striped Bass License Plate Fund.” There shall be deposited in the fund the amount collected for all license plate fees collected pursuant to section 2 of this act, less the amounts necessary to reimburse the commission for administrative costs pursuant to section 4 of this act.


And there are still those who want us to pay for a license who believe 100% of that money will go to fish and game. 

[CaptTB]

I included links to the bills so the thread would not be 9000 screens long, so much for that!

All the license plates that currently exist work in exactly the same way. I understand your point about who makes the decisions of expense, but that is the way all the special plates work. It must be a self sustained program. Once the expenses are covered, everything else is gravy

[IrishAyes]

 

[njdiver]

Present costs for "Specialty Plates":

Select a dedicated plate:

Organ Donor
Law Enforcement Memorial
Animal Friendly
Agriculture
Meadowlands
Deborah Heart & Lung
Liberty State Park
Treasure our trees+
Pinelands
United We Stand
Discover NJ History
Baymen's Heritage
Conquer Cancer
USS New Jersey Battleship
Olympic Spirit
Shore to Please
Conserve Wildlife


Pay a one-time $50 fee and $10 annual renewal ($15 annual renewal for the USS New Jersey Battleship plate). The plate dedicated to Agriculture has a one-time cost of $20, with no yearly renewal fee.

You can personalize your special interest plates with up to five characters for an initial fee of $100 and the annual renewal fee. For a personalized plate application, visit your nearest motor vehicle agency or call (888) 486-3339 toll-free in NJ or (609) 292-6500 from out of state. Personalized plates are also available online (MyMVC account number required).

If you lease a vehicle and get personalized, courtesy or special license plates, you may now get subsequent sets of the same plate. Room must be available on the plate for a subscript to differentiate them. The Chief Administrator will set the cost of the subsequent sets.

+ Treasure our Trees plates are available for both passenger and commercial vehicles.

http://www.state.nj.us/mvc/Vehicle/DedicatedPlates.htm

[njdiver]

There are presently 28 Senate and 29 Assembly bills establishing new specialty Plates. Some of which have died in previous sessions. This does not include S2856/A4016.

[CaptTB]

There are presently 28 Senate and 29 Assembly bills establishing new specialty Plates. Some of which have died in previous sessions. This does not include S2856/A4016.

Awesome. How much support have those bills had from the general public? How many people have written their senators or assemblymen and told them they want those legislators to support those bills?

Your post only shows just how important it is for people to actually support a bill by contacting their legislators, otherwise it will just wither and die!

[njdiver]

Interesting fact, I tracked one of the other Specialty Plates bills all the way back to 1998. 

A477  Provides for special Bronze Star license Plates.

Identical Bill Number: S1725   
Last Session Bill Number: A2908   S1691

Voss, Joan M.   as Primary Sponsor
Schroeder, Robert   as Co-Sponsor
       
1/12/2010 Introduced, Referred to Assembly Military and Veterans' Affairs Committee
 


A1744 Provides for special Bronze Star license plates. 
 
Identical Bill Number: S822   

Moran, Jeffrey W. as Primary Sponsor
Connors, Christopher J. as Primary Sponsor
     
2/23/1998 INTRODUCED, REFERRED TO Assembly Transportation Committee
 

 

[njdiver]

Capt TB:

Please show me in either piece of your legislation where any money is directed to the NJ Bureau Of Marine Fisheries?