SB 385-FN-A – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/03/10 0815s
2010 SESSION
03/01
SENATE BILL 385-FN-A
AN ACT relative to fees for low digit number plates.
SPONSORS: Sen. Roberge, Dist 9; Sen. Bragdon, Dist 11; Sen. Barnes, Jr., Dist 17
COMMITTEE: Transportation and Interstate Cooperation
This bill requires holders of low-digit number plates to pay vanity plate fees.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/03/10 0815s
10-2743
03/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Ten
AN ACT relative to fees for low digit number plates.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Low Digit Number Plates. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 89-c the following new section:
261:89-d Low Digit Number Plates.
I. Holders of number plates bearing one, 2, 3, or 4 digit registration numbers shall pay the vanity plate service and renewal fees established in RSA 261:89, which shall be in addition to any other registration or plate fees.
II. This section shall not apply to:
(a) Plates limited to specified eligible vehicle owners, such as special number plates for veterans, gold star number plates, special number plates for members of the national guard, special number plates for veterans who are disabled, blind, or former prisoners of war or were awarded the Purple Heart medal or survived Pearl Harbor, and walking disability number plates.
(b) Plates limited to specified eligible vehicles or uses, such as antique motor vehicle number plates and farm number plates.
(c) Motorcycle number plates.
(d) Conservation number plates.
(e) Plates bearing registration numbers that include letters.
2 Applicability. RSA 261:89-d, as inserted by section 1 of this act, shall not apply to any person holding a number plate bearing a one, 2, 3, or 4 digit registration number on the effective date of this act so long as the person continues to hold such number plate.
3 Driver Training Fund. Amend RSA 263:52, I to read as follows:
I. The proceeds from original license fees as provided in RSA 263:42 and the vanity plate service fee collected in accordance with RSA 261:89 or RSA 261:89-d, plus the fee for the renewal of the use of such plates, after costs of such plates or designation of effective periods thereof and issuance of same have been appropriated and deducted, shall be expended solely for courses of instruction and training in safe motor vehicle driving conducted in or under the supervision of secondary schools. After all costs of administration of the program each year of the biennium have been reserved, the balance which is appropriated to the driver training program shall be paid to the state treasurer by June 30 of each year. Such balance shall be kept in a separate fund which shall be paid out on or before September 15 of each year to participating schools prorated on a per-pupil basis for those who have completed the driver education program. Subject to final approval by the governor and council, the commissioner of safety jointly with the commissioner of education shall adopt pursuant to RSA 541-A and publish rules governing the courses of instruction and training and determining eligibility of secondary schools to receive moneys from the fund established by this section.
4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2010.
LBAO
10-2743 Amended 03/18/10
SB 385 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to fees for low digit number plates.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Safety states this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment #2010-0815s), will increase state general fund revenue by $4,000 in FY 2011, $8,000 in FY 2012, $12,000 in FY 2013, and $16,000 in FY 2014 and increase highway fund expenditures by $78,750 in FY 2011. This bill will have no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
This Department of Safety states this bill would require any number plate with a number of 4 digits or less, issued after the effective date of this bill, would be subject to the annual vanity plate fee currently $40 per year. The Division of Motor Vehicles states they issue an average of approximately 100 low digit plates per year, which would equate to a $4,000 increase in state revenue in the first year. Each subsequent year would increase by an additional $4,000, because those years would have 100 new issues plus the previous year issues that require renewal. The Division estimates highway fund expenditures will increase by approximately $78,750 for computer programming costs (450 hours at $175 per hour) in FY 2011 to change the system to charge for only newly issued low-digit number plates and their annual renewals. The vanity plate fees collected under this legislation would be deposited in the driver training fund until that program is fully funded for the fiscal year, and then the additional fee revenue will be deposited in the general fund. The Department states the bill is written to deposit fee revenue into the general fund, but the expenditures would be made from the highway fund.