Chapter 417
2017 -- H 5425 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 10/05/2017

A N   A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

Introduced By: Representatives Serpa, Winfield, Solomon, Canario, and Costantino
Date Introduced: February 08, 2017

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Chapter 31-3 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is
hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
     31-3-112 31-3-116. Special plate for the Ocean State Animal Coalition.
     (a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available a
special motor vehicle registration plate for the Ocean State Animal Coalition.
     (b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the
vehicle for which it was issued, and shall be used in place of, and in the same manner, as the
registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be
removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration
certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle, in accordance with ยง31-3-9. The
registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.
     (c) The Ocean State Animal Coalition motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as
regular motor vehicle plates, and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of motor
vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.
     (d) The Ocean State Animal Coalition motor vehicle plates shall be subject to a minimum
pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) sets of plates per plate type. The Ocean State Animal
Coalition plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial
order shall be handled by the Ocean State Animal Coalition, and shall not be submitted to the
division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met, and the
proper paperwork submitted to the division.
     (e) The administrator shall develop prepayment procedures and any other procedures
deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
     (f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, the Ocean State
Animal Coalition motor vehicle plates shall be subject to a forty-dollar ($40) issuance surcharge.
     (g) The forty-dollar ($40) issuance ($40) surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty
dollars ($20) shall be allocated to the general fund, and the remaining twenty dollars ($20) shall
be distributed annually to the Ocean State Animal Coalition in furtherance of its mission to
improve the status and well-being of animals in Rhode Island, including subsidizing spay and
neuter services for cats and dogs.
     (h) The Ocean State Animal Coalition shall distribute the funds it receives as referenced
in subsection (g) of this section to Rhode Island-based municipal animal shelters and other
humane organizations pursuant to procedures developed in accordance with subsection (e) of this
section.
     (i) The Ocean State Animal Coalition shall be required to submit an annual accounting
report before such monies are distributed.
     (j) A ten-dollar ($10) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to
the Ocean State Animal Coalition.
     (k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Ocean State Animal Coalition
motor vehicle plates.
     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC001221/SUB A
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