2015 -- H 5853

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LC001451

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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: Representative Charlene Lima

     Date Introduced: March 12, 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 private 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 independent nonprofit

institutions of higher education (Brown University, Bryant University, Johnson & Wales

University, New England Institute of Technology, Providence College, Rhode Island School of

Design, Roger Williams University, and/or Salve Regina University) 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 logos on Rhode Island registration plates.

     (c) The respective independent 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 independent higher education institution plate shall be subject to a minimum

prepaid order of at least nine hundred (900) plates per institution. The respective independent

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 president of the

Association of Independent Colleges and Universities of Rhode Island (AICU RI), 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 AICU RI

president, or his/her designee, will act as program coordinator and point of contact for the

division of motor vehicles. Subsequent independent higher education institution plate orders will

be handled by the division of motor vehicles.

     (e) The administrator of the division 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, independent 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 independent 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

independent higher education institution.

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

institution plates.

     (j) Any respective independent 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 private colleges and universities within the state.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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