2017 -- S 1006

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LC002970

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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: Senator Maryellen Goodwin

     Date Introduced: June 29, 2017

     Referred To: Placed on Senate Calendar

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-3-89 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration

of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-3-89. Rhode Island law enforcement memorial benefit fund license plates.

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

special motor vehicle registration plates honoring law enforcement officers that have been killed

in the line of duty. The plate shall be designed to reference Rhode Island Law Enforcement

Memorial Benefit Fund plates.

     (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.

     (c) The special motor vehicle plate shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates

and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles and with the final

approval from the Rhode Island state police.

     (d) Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall be subject to a

minimum pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) sets of plates. Rhode Island Law

Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order

requirements are met.

     (e) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall develop application forms,

pre-payment 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 Law

Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance

surcharge.

     (g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be as follows: twenty dollars

($20.00) shall be deposited in the division of motor vehicles manufacturing account, and the

remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the Rhode Island Law Enforcement

Memorial Benefit Fund.

     (h) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Rhode Island Law Enforcement

Memorial Benefit Fund.

     (i) A five dollar ($5.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated

to the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund.

     (j) For the purposes of this section only and notwithstanding any other provision of this

chapter or any other law to the contrary, including, but not limited to, §31-3-94, the statutory

authorization of the issuance of the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund

special license plates shall expire on January 1, 2022, if the statutorily mandated minimum

number of prepaid orders of such plates has not been satisfied prior to that date. 

     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 extend the mandated minimum number of prepaid orders deadline for the

Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund special license plates to January 1, 2022.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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