2015 -- H 5853 SUBSTITUTE A

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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).

     (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 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 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) sets of plates per institution per plate type (i.e.

passenger, commercial, etc.). 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 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 renewals 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.

     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 authorize 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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