2015 -- H 5547

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LC001452

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Lima, and Shekarchi

     Date Introduced: February 25, 2015

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-3 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is

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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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     31-3-104. Special plate for Rhode Island public colleges and universities. -- (a) The

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administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor

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vehicle registration plates for passenger vehicles based upon the various public nonprofit

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institutions of higher education (Community College of Rhode Island, Rhode Island College,

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and/or the University of Rhode Island) for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an

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automobile or commercial vehicle having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs.) or

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less.

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     (b) The special plate(s) shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to

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the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the

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registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be

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removed from the vehicle and the registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the

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vehicle, in accordance with ยง 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special

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plate. The administrator shall be authorized to retain newly issued plate numbers, at his or her

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discretion, for the purpose of conducting auctions of the right to use and display those numbers

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under such terms and conditions as the administrator may permit. Auction proceeds shall be

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apportioned and distributed to each respective institution whose plates have been issued, in the

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discretion of the administrator, in accordance with such agreements as may be entered into those

 

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entities holding ownership rights to the logos. The administrator is hereby authorized to enter into

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agreements for the use of the logos on Rhode Island registration plates.

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     (c) The respective public higher education institution's motor vehicle plates shall be the

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same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of

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motor vehicles, with design approval by the Rhode Island state police.

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     (d) Each public higher education institution plate shall be subject to a minimum prepaid

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order of at least nine hundred (900) plates per institution. The respective public higher education

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institution plate shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met by the

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requesting institution. The initial order will be handled by the Rhode Island commissioner of

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post-secondary education or his/her designee, and shall not be submitted to the division of motor

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vehicles for production until the minimum order has been met and the proper paperwork

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submitted to the division. The Rhode Island commissioner of post-secondary education, or his/her

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designee, will act as program coordinator and point of contact for the department of motor

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vehicles. Subsequent public higher education institution plate orders will be handled by the

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division of motor vehicles.

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     (e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop application forms, prepayment

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procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

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     (f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, public higher

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education institution plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

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     (g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty

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dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00)

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shall be distributed annually to the respective public higher education institution as a nonprofit

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educational institution based in Rhode Island.

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     (h) A ten dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration will go to the respective

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public higher education institution.

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     (i) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of public higher education institution

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plates.

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     (j) Any respective public higher education institution not pursuing or not reaching the

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minimum prepaid order of plates, as outlined in subsection (d) of this section, within thirty-six

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(36) months after this section is enacted will not be eligible to obtain special motor vehicle

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registration plates as outlined above, absent further action of the general assembly.

 

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

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     This act would permit the division of motor vehicles to create a special registration plate

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for state public colleges and universities.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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