Concerns removal of abandoned vessels; appropriates $25 million.

This bill creates a working group to help New Jersey coastal communities identify and safely remove abandoned vessels, and establishes a $25 million fund to reimburse municipalities for these removal costs. The working group, consisting of 21 members including federal and state agency representatives, must report to the Governor and Legislature within one year of formation and annually thereafter. Municipalities must adopt vessel registration ordinances for vessels in municipal waterways to qualify for reimbursement, and the fund will be supported by $25 million in state appropriations plus civil penalties collected from vessel abandonment violations.