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:

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

hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

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

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

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

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

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

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

less.

     (b) The special plate(s) 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 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. The administrator shall be authorized to retain newly issued plate numbers, at his or her

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

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

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

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

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

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

     (c) The respective public higher education institution's 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 design approval by the Rhode Island state police.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

division of motor vehicles.

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

education institution 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 respective public higher education institution as a nonprofit

educational institution based in Rhode Island.

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

public higher education institution.

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

plates.

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

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

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

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

for state public colleges and universities.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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