SB180 (2005) Detail

Increasing certain motor vehicle registration fees and appropriating the funds for local government records management programs.


SB 180-FN-A-LOCAL – AS INTRODUCED

2005 SESSION

05-0755

08/03

SENATE BILL 180-FN-A-LOCAL

AN ACT increasing certain motor vehicle registration fees and appropriating the funds for local government records management programs.

SPONSORS: Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Gallus, Dist 1

COMMITTEE: Transportation and Interstate Cooperation

ANALYSIS

This bill increases certain motor vehicle registration fees and appropriates the funds for local government records management programs.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05-0755

08/03

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

AN ACT increasing certain motor vehicle registration fees and appropriating the funds for local government records management programs.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 Local Government Records Management Fund. Amend RSA 5:48, II to read as follows:

II. Use of the fund shall be solely for the development and continuance of a full-time local government records management component in the state records management and archives program, and for grants to those local governments that deposit moneys in accordance with RSA 261:152, II for records management improvement as provided under RSA 5:51. Such programs shall be responsible for providing aid, advice, and assistance to local governments concerning the proper management and preservation of the public records in their custody and care, as state law requires. Funds shall be expended to support grants for local government records management improvement, and for administrative and other costs associated with the provision of consultative and technical services, including, but not limited to, education programming, technical publications, website development, and micrographics and digitization services.

2 Local Government Records Management Fund. Amend RSA 5:51, I to read as follows:

I. The state archivist, upon consultation with the municipal records board’s grants review committee, is authorized to award grants for records management improvement as provided under RSA 5:49 to local governments that deposit moneys in accordance with RSA 261:152, II, groups of cooperating local governments, or cooperative ventures that include a local [governments] government that deposits moneys in accordance with RSA 261:152, II.

3 Motor Vehicles; Preparation of Documents. Amend RSA 261:152 to read as follows:

261:152 Preparation of Documents.

I. Permits shall be in the form prescribed by the director and shall be issued with such duplicates as [he] the director shall determine. The town clerk shall prepare forms for permits and applications for registration of vehicles as required by RSA 261:52. Said forms shall be prepared by typewriter or in an electronic format. Distribution of such documents shall be made as determined by the director. For preparation of the forms hereunder the town clerk shall receive a fee of $1 for each application. The fee shall be paid by the applicant for registration and shall be in addition to any other fees required hereunder. The term “town clerk’’ as used in this section shall include the person in a city who has been designated by the city government to issue such documents.

II. This paragraph shall apply only to towns that have adopted a records management and records preservation fund under RSA 31:95-c, II (c). Permits shall be in the form prescribed by the director and shall be issued with such duplicates as the director shall determine. The town clerk shall prepare forms for permits and applications for registration of vehicles as required by RSA 261:52. Said forms shall be prepared by typewriter or in an electronic format. Distribution of such documents shall be made as determined by the director. For preparation of the forms hereunder the town clerk shall receive a fee of $2 for each application. Fifty cents of this amount shall be used to support records management and records preservation programs in local government adopted pursuant to RSA 31:95-c and RSA 31:95-d, and $.50 shall be deposited in the New Hampshire local government records management improvement fund established under RSA 5:48. The fee shall be paid by the applicant for registration and shall be in addition to any other fees required hereunder. The term “town clerk” as used in this section shall include the person in a city who has been designated by the city government to issue such documents.

4 New Subparagraph; Special Revenue Funds; Records Management and Records Preservation. Amend RSA 31:95-c, II by inserting after subparagraph (b) the following new subparagraph:

(c) Provide records management and records preservation funds from revenue received by the town clerk under RSA 261:152, II, provided that an up-to-date records management plan has been approved by the local legislative body at an annual meeting.

5 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005.

LBAO

05-0755

Revised 2/2/05

SB 180 FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT increasing certain motor vehicle registration fees and appropriating the funds for local government records management programs.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The New Hampshire Municipal Association, Department of State, and Department of Safety state this bill could increase state and local revenue and expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2006 and each year thereafter. This bill will have no fiscal impact on county revenue and expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The New Hampshire Municipal Association states this bill would allow municipalities to adopt a special revenue fund for records management and preservation, and for those municipalities that do so, this bill would increase the fee designated by statute to go to the town clerk for motor vehicle registrations from $1 to $2. Of the $1 increase, 50 cents would be designated to support the locally adopted records management and records preservation program, and 50 cents would be deposited into the State’s local government records management improvement fund established under RSA 5:48. The provisions of this bill may require additional expenditures by the municipality, particularly the clerk who must account for the deposit of 50 cents in each of these two new funds. However, any such expenditure would have to be approved by the vote of the local legislative body.

The Department of State states revenue to the New Hampshire Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund would increase to the extent municipalities adopted a special revenue fund for records management and preservation, and additional revenues would be expended pursuant to the provisions of RSA 5:58 and 5:49 (to provide advice to municipalities on programs pertaining to local government records). The Department is unable to determine the exact fiscal impact at this time, since it is dependent on actions of local legislative bodies, but estimate the additional 50 cents deposited into the New Hampshire local government records management improvement fund could result in additional state restricted revenues of approximately $750,000 annually assuming 1.5 million motor vehicle registrations each year.

The Department of Safety states they are unable to determine the fiscal impact on state and local revenue or expenditures at this time since they are unable to determine how many cities and towns have adopted or will adopt records management and records preservation funds.