Revision: June 3, 2010, midnight
HB 1620-FN-A – VERSION ADOPTED BY BOTH BODIES
17Mar2010… 0833h
04/21/10 1425s
02Jun2010… 2293cofc
2010 SESSION
03/01
HOUSE BILL 1620-FN-A
AN ACT establishing a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system.
SPONSORS: Rep. A. Peterson, Hills 3; Rep. Campbell, Hills 24; Rep. Bergin, Hills 6; Rep. Nixon, Hills 17; Rep. G. Katsakiores, Rock 5; Sen. Hassan, Dist 23; Sen. Odell, Dist 8; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20
This bill authorizes a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
17Mar2010… 0833h
04/21/10 1425s
02Jun2010… 2293cofc
10-2044
03/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
AN ACT establishing a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Paragraph; Fees for Park System; Special Registration Plate Symbol. Amend RSA 216-A:3-g by inserting after paragraph V the following new paragraph:
VI. No admission fee shall be charged for day use of the state park system to the occupants of a vehicle with a number plate bearing a special registration plate symbol authorized by RSA 261:75-c. Any fees for the use of metered parking or enterprise activities as defined in paragraph II shall be charged to such persons.
2 State Park Fund. RSA 216-A:3-i is repealed and reenacted to read as follows:
216-A:3-i State Park Fund Established.
I. The state treasurer shall establish a separate and distinct account to be known as the state park fund. The treasurer shall establish within the state park fund separate and distinct accounts, known as the state park account and the state-owned ski area account. The accounts shall be continuing and nonlapsing. The treasurer shall deposit in the state park account actual revenues from fees, services, accommodations, rentals, retail sales, net profit from concession operations, and special registration plate symbol fees collected under RSA 261:75-c in excess of budget expenses and excluding revenues associated with state-owned ski areas. The treasurer shall deposit in the state-owned ski area account actual revenues associated with the state-owned ski areas, derived by the department of resources and economic development from fees, services, accommodations, rentals, revenue from lift and tramway operations, retail sales, and net profit from concession operations in excess of budget expenses. Any federal moneys which become available and all donations and gifts shall be deposited into their appropriately designated accounts.
II. Any funds deposited into the state park account and state-owned ski account are hereby continually appropriated to and may be expended by the commissioner of the department of resources and economic development only with the prior approval of the governor and council and the fiscal committee of the general court, provided that additional funds above those authorized in the budget are necessary for the division of parks and recreation to provide an adequate level of service and maintenance in the state park system, to restore park facilities, and for proper operation of the state-owned ski areas. The commissioner may use funds in the park account to promote the special registration plate symbol program authorized by RSA 261:75-c.
3 Reference Changed. Amend RSA 216-A:3-j to read as follows:
216-A:3-j Debt Service for Cannon Tramway. Effective July 1, 1996, debt service for the Cannon Tramway shall be a charge against the state park fund, state-owned ski area account.
4 New Section; Special Registration Plate Symbol. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 75-b the following new section:
261:75-c Special Registration Plate Symbol. The director is hereby authorized to assign registration numbers that include a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system. The special registration plate symbol shall serve as a character in the registration number. A special registration plate symbol may be used on any type of number plate issued by the division for private passenger vehicles, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles. The design and size of an appropriate symbol shall be determined by the commissioner in consultation with the commissioner of resources and economic development. The department shall determine the means of identifying the special resignation plate symbol in the computerized records of the department. A special registration plate symbol shall be available to any applicant upon payment of a special registration plate symbol fee of $85, which shall be in addition to any other registration and number plate fees. An applicant may include the symbol on any vanity number plate upon payment of the special registration plate symbol fee and the vanity plate service fee in RSA 261:89. Vanity plate service fees shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:89 and RSA 263:52. The fees described in this section shall apply to original registrations and annual registration renewals. The department shall retain from the special registration plate symbol fees an amount as is necessary to recover any additional production and administrative costs associated with use of the symbol. The remaining funds shall be paid to the state treasurer and deposited in the state park fund established in RSA 216-A:3-i to fund maintenance and use of the park system and promotion of the special registration number program. All other registration fees, permit fees, number plate fees, and special number plate fees shall be distributed as required by law. The cost of replacement number plates shall be identical to the cost of initial number plates and the revenue from replacement number plates shall be distributed in the same manner as revenue derived from initial number plates.
5 Application. The department of safety shall implement the use of a special registration plate symbol authorized by RSA 261:75-c as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act.
6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect January 1, 2011.
LBAO
10-2044 Amended 05/17/10
HB 1620 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT establishing a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development states this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2010-1425s), will increase state restricted revenue by an indeterminable amount in FY 2011 and each fiscal year after. The Department of Safety states this bill will increase state restricted revenue and expenditures and local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2011 and each fiscal year thereafter. This bill will have no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or county expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Resources and Economic Development (DRED) states this bill establishes registration numbers that include a special registration plate symbol for the purpose of benefitting the state park system. The fee for these plates is $85 per year and entitles the owner to no fee day-use admission to the state park system, with revenue deposited in the state park fund. The Department states it is not able to estimate the number of such plates that will be issued or renewed annually. The Department states comparisons to the Conservation Number Plate (“Moose Plate”) cannot be reasonably made due to the significant differences in plate costs ($30 Moose plate vs. $85 State Park plate), nor can comparisons be made to the Maine state parks plate for the same reason ($15 “Loon” plate renewal).
The Department of Safety states under this bill a special registration plate symbol will be issued for the use of state parks. The Department assumes it will be required to purchase at least one each of the 12 different types of sheathing used to manufacture all plates used by private passenger vehicles, recreational vehicles, and motorcycles (12 x $2,000 per sheathing roll = $24,000). Plate material purchases are a charge to the plate inventory fund under RSA 228:25. The Department states it is not able to predict the annual number of plates purchased with a special registration plate symbol. There will be additional costs to the Department for the mailing of newly issued plates. The Department states under this bill it will need to re-program its computer systems at a cost of $61,250 (350 hours x $175 per hour). The Department further states cities and towns of the state who perform registration transactions for the DMV will be required to contract with their vendors to upgrade their software, at an indeterminable cost.