Revision: Jan. 15, 2019, 12:59 p.m.
HB 549-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2019 SESSION
19-0419
11/03
HOUSE BILL 549-FN
AN ACT relative to gold star number plates.
SPONSORS: Rep. Baldasaro, Rock. 5; Rep. Massimilla, Graf. 1; Rep. Edwards, Rock. 4; Rep. Leishman, Hills. 24; Rep. Weyler, Rock. 13; Rep. Major, Rock. 14; Rep. Morrison, Rock. 9; Rep. Pearl, Merr. 26; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19
COMMITTEE: Transportation
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ANALYSIS
This bill establishes a gold star family plate for certain family members of persons killed while on duty in the United State armed forces.
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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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
19-0419
11/03
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Nineteen
AN ACT relative to gold star number plates.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 New Section; Gold Star Family Plates. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 261:87-c the following new section:
261:87-d Gold Star Family Plates.
I. For purposes of this section, "family member" shall mean grandfather, grandmother, father, stepfather, adoptive mother, adoptive father, son, daughter, stepson, stepdaughter, adoptive son, adoptive daughter, brother, sister, half-brother, or half-sister.
II. The department shall furnish one set of special number plates, designed by the director with the approval of the commissioner, for one motor vehicle owned by a family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces. These gold star family plates shall be issued upon payment of the regular registration fees. There shall be no number plate fees for gold star number plates.
III. For purposes of this section, a motor vehicle is owned by a family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces if the family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces is the motor vehicle's owner under RSA 259:72, I, or if the legal ownership of the motor vehicle is held by a trust established by the family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces and the family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces has use of the motor vehicle or the motor vehicle is used for the transportation of the family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces. The director shall establish the documentation required for a motor vehicle held in trust to be eligible for plates under this section. The director shall not issue more than one set of plates under this section to any trust. A trustee of the trust or the administrator of the estate may be fined up to $500 for failing to return within 60 days of the death of the family member of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces any plates issued under this section for a motor vehicle held in trust.
IV. A stepfather, stepson, or stepdaughter of a person killed while on duty in the United States armed forces shall only be eligible for gold star family plates if, in the case of a stepfather, his marriage license is dated prior to the member's fifteenth birthday and the stepfather provides a copy of the marriage license to the director, or in the case of a stepson or stepdaughter, if the member's marriage license is dated prior to the stepson's or stepdaughter's fifteenth birthday and the stepson or stepdaughter provides a copy of the marriage license to the director. The stepfather shall also be required to provide a DD Form 1300 to the director. A stepfather shall not receive plates under this section if another stepfather of the person killed while on duty holds gold star family plates furnished under this section.
2 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
19-0419
1/3/19
HB 549-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
AN ACT relative to gold star number plates.
FISCAL IMPACT: [ X ] State [ ] County [ X ] Local [ ] None
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| Estimated Increase / (Decrease) | |||
STATE: | FY 2020 | FY 2021 | FY 2022 | FY 2023 |
Appropriation | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
Revenue | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
Expenditures | Indeterminable Increase | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
Funding Source: | [ X ] General [ ] Education [ X ] Highway [ X ] Other - *Restricted Cost of Collections - Multiple Others (See Methodology) | |||
*Pursuant to Part II, article 6-a of the New Hampshire constitution, any costs associated with the collection and administration of Highway Funds by the Department of Safety shall be deducted by the Department before such funds are credited to the Highway Fund as unrestricted revenue.
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LOCAL: |
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Revenue | $0 | Indeterminable | Indeterminable | Indeterminable |
Expenditures | Indeterminable Increase | $0 | $0 | $0 |
METHODOLOGY:
This bill establishes a gold star family plate for certain family members of persons killed while on duty in the United State armed forces. The Department of Safety is required to design and issue the gold star family plates. No method exists to determine how many plates would be issued under the provisions of this bill. Therefore, expenditures and revenues will be impacted by an indeterminable amount.
Since this bill requires a new plate to be created, the Department estimates an increase of $280,000 in expenditures to reprogram the MAAP and VISION systems to include this new plate type. Additionally, new sheeting would need to be designed for the new plate which is estimated at $1,000 per roll and produces an estimated 918 pairs of plates ($1.09 per plate). Further, municipalities will likely need to incur some costs to upgrade their systems to accommodate for this new plate type.
Revenue potentially could be impacted under two provisions in this bill: 1) no plate fees will be charged for plates issued under this bill, which could decrease revenue in the reflectorized plate fund; and 2) this bill allows for a trustee or administrator overseeing a trust that fails to return plates with 60 days of the death of the family member in possession of the plates to be fined $500. Fines under the provisions in this bill would increase the highway fund and also local highway aid, which is at least 12 percent of motor vehicle revenue collected in the previous year. Additionally, all fines are also subject to a penalty assessment of 24% of the fine amount for which the proceeds split and are credited to the general fund (66.66%), victims’ assistance fund (16.67%), and the judicial branch information technology fund (16.67%).
This bill contains a fine that may have an impact on the New Hampshire Judicial Branch. There is no method to determine how many charges would be brought as a result of the changes contained in this bill to determine the fiscal impact on expenditures. However, the Branch has provided the potential costs associated with this fine below.
Judicial Branch | FY 2020 | FY 2021 |
Violation Level Offense | $51 | $52 |
It should be noted that average case cost estimates for FY 2020 and FY 2021 are based on data that is more than ten years old and does not reflect changes to the courts over that same period of time or the impact these changes may have on processing the various case types. An unspecified misdemeanor can be either class A or class B, with the presumption being a class B misdemeanor. | ||
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Department of Safety and Judicial Branch