8. a. The Governor shall include in the annual budget recommendations to the Legislature, pursuant to section 11 of P.L.1944, c.112 (C. 52:27B-20), a recommendation for an appropriation from the accounts created pursuant to section 6 of this act for the purposes set forth in this section. The Legislature shall annually appropriate to the department from the first $600,000 in license plate fees collected pursuant to section 5 of this act and deposited in the accounts:

(1) An amount not to exceed $400,000 for a grant to the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum for the purposes of supporting and maintaining the museum, to be appropriated from the Barnegat Bay Decoy and Baymen’s Museum Account created pursuant to section 6 of this act; and

(2) An amount not to exceed $200,000 for a grant to an agency, group, organization or individual responsible for a maritime history or marine life preservation project selected by the department as eligible for a special license plate issued pursuant to section 3 of this act, to be appropriated from the Maritime History and Marine Life Preservation Project Account created pursuant to section 6 of this act and allocated as provided in the rules and regulations adopted pursuant to section 4 of this act .

b. If an amount less than $600,000 is collected from license plate fees pursuant to section 5 of this act in any given year, the amounts provided in paragraphs (1) and (2) of subsection a. of this section shall be reduced proportionately.

L.1997,c.74,s.8.