SB32 (2005) Detail

Authorizing the department of safety to issue special amateur radio operator plates.


SB 32-FN – AS INTRODUCED

2005 SESSION

05-0948

03/09

SENATE BILL 32-FN

AN ACT authorizing the department of safety to issue special amateur radio operator plates.

SPONSORS: Sen. Johnson, Dist 2; Rep. Rosen, Belk 4

COMMITTEE: Transportation and Interstate Cooperation

ANALYSIS

This bill authorizes the director of the division of motor vehicles to issue special motor vehicle number plates to licensed amateur radio operators.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

05-0948

03/09

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five

AN ACT authorizing the department of safety to issue special amateur radio operator plates.

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

1 New Section; Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles; Number Plates for Amateur Radio Operators. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 79 the following new section:

261:79-a Number Plates for Amateur Radio Operators. The director is hereby authorized to design and to issue special plates to be used on motor vehicles registered to holders of Federal Communications Commission (FCC) amateur radio operator licenses, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall consist of the letters and numbers shown on the applicant’s amateur radio operator’s license issued by the FCC followed by an identifying legend agreed upon by the director and a representative of the amateur radio community. Such plates shall be issued only upon application and upon payment of a fee of $25. The annual renewal fee shall be limited to $5. This fee shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee as prescribed by law for the particular vehicle and any number plate manufacturing fees otherwise required by law. The balance of the special fees collected under this section other than number plate manufacturing fees, as determined pursuant to RSA 261:147, shall be paid to the state treasurer and deposited into the general fund and shall be available as unrestricted revenue.

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

LBAO

05-0948

1/14/05

SB 32-FN - FISCAL NOTE

AN ACT authorizing the department of safety to issue special amateur radio operator plates.

FISCAL IMPACT:

The Department of Safety determined this bill will increase state restricted expenditures, decrease state restricted revenue and increase state general fund revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2006 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.

METHODOLOGY:

The Department stated they are unable to determine how many ham radio operators would purchase plates for an original $25 fee and renewal fee of $5, therefore, they are unable to estimate with any certainty the fiscal impact of this bill. However, the Department did indicate that to the extent ham radio operators now have “vanity plates” and pay $25 a year to renew them, the Department would lose $20 per year at the renewal time in those particular transactions. This would be a loss of revenue to the restricted vanity plate fund. To the extent individuals who do not have vanity plates would purchase ham radio license plates, the increased revenue would be deposited into the general fund as stated in this bill. The Department indicated that the minimum start-up costs for a new plate issue are $30,000 for computer time, artist fees, printing, handling and accounting. The cost to manufacture the plates is about $13 a pair in small quantities of up to 5,000 pairs, less for more volume. These costs are borne by the “graphic plate fund”.