2024 -- H 8097 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2024

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

     Introduced By: Representatives Azzinaro, O'Brien, and McNamara

     Date Introduced: March 22, 2024

     Referred To: House Special Legislation

     (by request)

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:

     31-3-121. Special plate for Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub.

     (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 Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor

Flight Hub.

     (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 and 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) Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub motor vehicle plates shall be the same size

as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight

Hub, in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with design approval by the Rhode Island

state police.

     (d) The Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub plates shall be subject to a compliance

with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum pre-paid order of plates per plate type (i.e.

passenger, commercial, etc.) and any required payment. The Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight

Hub plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial order

will be handled by the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub 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, Rhode Island Fire

Chiefs Honor Flight Hub 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 Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub in furtherance of its

mission of "honoring our veterans by offering WWII and Korean War Veterans a no-cost trip to

visit the memorials in Washington, DC."

     (h) A ten-dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated

to the Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub.

     (i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of the Rhode Island Fire

Chiefs Honor Flight Hub plates, the organization must use any Rhode Island sourced funds in and

for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.

     (j) Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub will be required to submit an annual

accounting report before such monies are distributed.

     (k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor

Flight Hub plates.

     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect six (6) months after 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 create special motor vehicle registration plates for vehicles based on the

not-for-profit entity Rhode Island Fire Chiefs Honor Flight Hub.

     This act would take effect six (6) months after passage.

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