Revision: March 27, 2014, midnight
HB 1598-FN-A – AS INTRODUCED
2014 SESSION
03/10
HOUSE BILL 1598-FN-A
AN ACT authorizing friends of animals number plates.
SPONSORS: Rep. Massimilla, Graf 1; Rep. Bailey, Graf 14; Rep. Whittemore, Rock 5; Rep.?Doolan, Graf 1; Rep. K. Rogers, Merr 28
This bill authorizes friends of animals number plates to fund grants to animal welfare organizations.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
14-2108
03/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fourteen
AN ACT authorizing friends of animals number plates.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Subparagraph; General Fund; Exceptions. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (316) the following new subparagraph:
(317) The designated portion of moneys received under RSA 261:97-g, which shall be credited to the friends of animals number plate trust fund established in RSA 261:97-h.
2 New Subdivision; Friends of Animals Number Plates and Friends of Animals Number Plate Trust Fund. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 97-f the following new subdivision:
Friends of Animals Number Plates and Friends
of Animals Number Plate Trust Fund
261:97-g Friends of Animals Number Plates.
I. The director is hereby authorized to issue special friends of animals number plates, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined as provided in RSA?261:97-i. The plates shall retain the “live free or die” logo. Such plates shall be issued only upon application and upon payment of a $30 fee that shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee and any other number plate fees otherwise required.
II. The director is also authorized to issue vanity friends of animals number plates. The fee for any such vanity friends of animals number plate shall be the fee as provided in RSA 261:97-g, in addition to the fees for vanity plates which are otherwise established by law. The vanity plate portion of the fee shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:89 and RSA 263:52.
III. Plates shall be renewed on an annual basis for $30 per set. Of this sum, the department shall retain an amount as is necessary to recover production and administrative costs as approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. The remaining funds shall be paid to the state treasurer and distributed as provided in RSA 261:97-h. 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.
261:97-h Friends of Animals Number Plate Trust Fund.
I. There is hereby established a friends of animals number plate trust fund under the administration of the state treasurer. The fund shall be used to provide grants to animal welfare organizations incorporated under the laws of this state. An organization receiving a grant shall expend the funds in support of projects devoted to animal welfare purposes, including, but not limited to, programs for the spaying and neutering of dogs and cats. The fund shall be nonlapsing.
II. The state treasurer shall distribute grants to the organizations selected and in the amounts determined by the friends of animals number plate advisory committee established in RSA?261:97-i.
261:97-i New Hampshire Friends of Animals Number Plate Advisory Committee; Duties; Meetings.
I. A New Hampshire friends of animals number plate advisory committee is hereby established. The friends of animals number plate advisory committee shall be composed of the following:
(a) The commissioner of safety, or designee.
(b) The state veterinarian, or designee.
(c) Two house members appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
(d) Two senators appointed by the president of the senate.
(e) Three persons appointed annually by the governor with the consent of the council.
II. The first appointed house member shall act as chairperson of the committee.
III. The committee shall:
(a) Jointly determine the plate design with final approval by the commissioner of safety. The commissioner of safety shall establish a numbering system and method of distribution.
(b) Register the design with the secretary of state. The commissioner of safety, with the approval of the governor and council, shall have the authority to enter into contractual arrangements for the commercial use of the friends of animals plate design. Any royalties derived from such contracts shall be deposited into the friends of animals number plate trust fund created under RSA?261:97-h.
(c) Select the organizations to receive grants from the friends of animals number plate trust fund and determine the amount of each grant in accordance with RSA 261:97-h. The committee shall inform the treasurer of its determinations.
(d) Monitor the implementation of the projects for which grants have been made.
IV. The committee shall meet at least annually, but more often if necessary. The members shall serve without compensation, except that legislative members of the committee shall receive mileage at the legislative rate. The committee chairperson shall appoint a secretary from among the other members of the committee to keep a detailed record of all proceedings.
V. Any vacant position shall be filled by the appropriate authority.
VI. It shall be the duty of legislative members of the committee to initiate appropriate legislation to ensure that the purposes and goals of the friends of animals number plate program are being achieved.
261:97-j Plate Use. Plates may be used on passenger motor vehicles and recreation vehicles.
261:97-k Report.
I. The New Hampshire friends of animals number plate advisory committee shall submit a report to the governor, the senate president, and the speaker of the house of representatives no later than December 31 of each year.
II. The report shall contain the following:
(a) A statement from the department of safety indicating:
(1) The total number of friends of animals number plates sold during the preceding year, including the number of initial plates and the number of renewals.
(2) The gross revenue derived from the sale of friends of animals number plates.
(3) The amount retained by the department of safety to cover administrative costs of the program.
(4) The amount paid to the state treasurer for deposit into the New Hampshire friends of animals number plate trust fund during the preceding fiscal year.
(b) A statement from the committee indicating:
(1) The name of each organization receiving a grant from the friends of animals number plate trust fund during the preceding fiscal year and the amount of each grant.
(2) Total funds expended.
(3) Accomplishments achieved pursuant to RSA 261:97-h during the preceding fiscal year.
(4) An outline of the projects and programs to which the committee has assigned priority in the ensuing fiscal year.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.
LBAO
14-2108
11/26/13
HB 1598-FN-A - FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT authorizing friends of animals number plates.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Safety states this bill, as introduced, will increase state revenues by $150,000 in FY 2015 and each year thereafter, increase state expenditures by $432,100 in FY 2015, and by $150,000 in FY 2016 and each year thereafter, and increase local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2015 and each year thereafter. There will be no impact on county revenues or expenditures, or local revenues.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Safety states this bill establishes a Friends of Animals license plate, which would be issued and renewed by an annual payment of $30. The Department states all additional revenues collected from the issuance of these plates, less the Department’s administrative costs (estimated to be $3.00 per set of plates), would be deposited in a trust fund to be distributed through grants to animal welfare organizations as determined by a newly established advisory committee. The Department estimates there may be 5,000 sets of plates issued and is unable to estimate this new plate type’s effect on other specialized license plate issuances (conservation license plates, state park license plates, etc…). Also, the Department assumes costs for vendor system programming changes and testing for the new plate type will not be recovered through Friends of Animals license plate revenue, but rather a draw on the highway fund. The Department estimates the following impact on state revenues and expenditures:
? |
FY 2015 |
FY 2016 |
FY 2017 |
FY 2018 |
Friends of Animals Trust Fund Revenue |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
Department of Safety Admin Revenue |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
Total Restricted Revenue |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
? |
? |
? |
? |
? |
Friends of Animals Trust Fund Expenditures |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
$135,000 |
Department of Safety Admin Costs |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
$15,000 |
Total Restricted Expenditures |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
Vendor Programming and Testing Costs |
$282,100 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Total Highway Fund Expenditures |
$282,100 |
$0 |
$0 |
$0 |
Total Expenditures |
$432,100 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
$150,000 |
The Department states local governments may also have an indeterminable increase in expenditures under this bill due to vendor software changes.