Title 31
Motor and Other Vehicles

Chapter 3
Registration of Vehicles

§ 31-3-128. Special plate for the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. The plates shall be designed to reference the not-for-profit entity, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.

(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 § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(c) The Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, and which license plate design shall include references to both the Newport Folk and Newport Jazz festivals with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. plates shall be subject to compliance with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum prepaid orders of plates per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.) and any required payment. The Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paper work submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of motor vehicles 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, Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. to preserve the historic Newport Jazz and Folk Festivals and provide access to music education programs in Rhode Island to ensure that every person can experience the benefits of music.

(h) A ten dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc.

(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. plates, the Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. must use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.

(j) Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. will be required to submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Newport Festivals Foundation, Inc. plates.