2017 -- S 0538 SUBSTITUTE A

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2017

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES - REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

     Introduced By: Senators DiPalma, Goodwin, Seveney, Pearson, and Lombardo

     Date Introduced: March 09, 2017

     Referred To: Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-3-85 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration

of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-3-85. Special plate for the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

     (a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available

special motor vehicle registration plates for passenger vehicle based upon the not-for-profit

entity, the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation 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, or combination vehicle.

     (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 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 for charitable purposes, in the

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

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 New England Patriots Charitable Foundation 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 approved by the Rhode Island State Police.

     (d) New England Patriots Charitable Foundation plates shall be subject to a minimum

pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) plates with respect to each plate type authorized

pursuant to this section. New England Patriots Charitable Foundation plates shall not be issued

unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the New

England Patriots Charitable Foundation and shall not be submitted to the division of motor

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

submitted to the division. Subsequent New England Patriots Charitable Foundation 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, New England

Patriots Charitable Foundation 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 New England Patriots Charitable Foundation in furtherance of

their mission of assisting the youth and families of New England through donations that foster

cultural diversity, education, family and health.

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

to the New England Patriots Charitable Foundation.

     (i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of New England Patriots

Charitable Foundation, the foundation must use any Rhode Island sourced funds in and for the

benefit of Rhode Island based charitable organizations.

     (j) The New England Patriots Charitable Foundation will be required to submit an annual

accounting report before such monies are distributed.

     (k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of New England Patriots Charitable

Foundation plates.

     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 add the class of combination vehicles to the list of vehicles eligible for

New England Patriots Charitable Foundation registration plates.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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