46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003
RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; PROVIDING AN ARMED FORCES VETERAN WITH A ONE-TIME WAIVER OF THE FEE FOR A VETERAN'S SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATE AND OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE REGISTRATION FEE; AMENDING SECTIONS OF THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
Section 1. Section 66-3-412.1 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2001, Chapter 243, Section 1) is amended to read:
"66-3-412.1. SPECIAL MOTORCYCLE REGISTRATION PLATES FOR ARMED FORCES VETERANS.--
A. The department shall issue distinctive motorcycle registration plates indicating that the recipient is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in Section 28-13-7 NMSA 1978, or is retired from the national guard or military reserves, if that person submits proof satisfactory to the department of honorable discharge from the armed forces or of retirement from the national guard or military reserves.
B. For a fee of seven dollars ($7.00), which shall be in addition to the regular motorcycle registration fees, any motorcycle owner who is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States or is retired from the national guard or military reserves may apply for the issuance of a special motorcycle registration plate as defined in Subsection A of this section. No two owners shall be issued identically lettered or numbered plates.
C. An owner shall make a new application and pay a new fee each year he desires to obtain a special motorcycle registration plate. He will have first priority on that plate for each subsequent year that he makes a timely and appropriate application.
D. A one-time waiver of the fee imposed pursuant to
Subsection B of this section shall be given to an armed forces veteran.
[D.] E. Each armed forces veteran may elect to
receive a veteran-designation decal to be placed across the top
of the special motorcycle registration plate, centered above
the registration number. Replacement or different veteran-designation decals shall be available for purchase from the
department at a reasonable charge to be set by the secretary.
The department shall furnish the following veteran-designation
decals with the armed forces veteran motorcycle registration
plate to a:
(1) medal of honor recipient;
(2) silver star recipient;
(3) bronze star recipient;
(4) navy cross recipient;
(5) distinguished service cross recipient;
(6) air force cross recipient;
(7) ex-prisoner of war;
(8) disabled veteran;
(9) purple heart veteran;
(10) atomic veteran;
(11) Pearl Harbor survivor;
(12) Navajo code talker;
(13) Vietnam veteran;
(14) Korean veteran;
(15) disabled Korean veteran;
(16) World War II veteran;
(17) World War I veteran;
(18) Grenada veteran;
(19) Panama veteran; or
(20) Desert Storm veteran.
[E.] F. The revenue from the fee imposed pursuant
to Subsection B of this section shall be retained by the
department and is appropriated to the department for the
manufacture and issuance of the special motorcycle registration
plates for armed forces veterans."
Section 2. Section 66-3-419 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1990, Chapter 46, Section 2, as amended) is amended to read:
"66-3-419. SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES FOR ARMED FORCES VETERANS.--
A. The department shall issue distinctive registration plates indicating that the recipient is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States, as defined in Section 28-13-7 NMSA 1978, or is retired from the national guard or military reserves, if that person submits proof satisfactory to the department of honorable discharge from the armed forces or of retirement from the national guard or military reserves.
B. For a fee of fifteen dollars ($15.00), which shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fees, any motor vehicle owner who is a veteran of the armed forces of the United States or is retired from the national guard or military reserves may apply for the issuance of a special registration plate as defined in Subsection A of this section. No two owners shall be issued identically lettered or numbered plates.
C. The fifteen-dollar ($15.00) fee provided in Subsection B of this section shall be waived for each registration period in which a validating sticker is issued under the provisions of Section 66-3-17 NMSA 1978, in lieu of the issuance of a special armed forces veteran plate.
D. A one-time waiver of the fee imposed pursuant to
Subsection B of this section shall be given to an armed forces veteran.
[D.] E. Each armed forces veteran may elect to
receive a veteran-designation decal to be placed across the top
of the plate, centered above the registration number.
Replacement or different veteran-designation decals shall be
available for purchase from the department at a reasonable
charge to be set by the secretary. The department shall
furnish the following veteran-designation decals with the armed
forces veteran plate to a:
(1) medal of honor recipient;
(2) silver star recipient;
(3) bronze star recipient;
(4) navy cross recipient;
(5) distinguished service cross recipient;
(6) air force cross recipient;
(7) ex-prisoner of war;
(8) disabled veteran;
(9) purple heart veteran;
(10) atomic veteran;
(11) Pearl Harbor survivor;
(12) Navajo code talker;
(13) Vietnam veteran;
(14) Korean veteran;
(15) disabled Korean veteran;
(16) World War II veteran;
(17) World War I veteran;
(18) Grenada veteran;
(19) Panama veteran; or
(20) Desert Storm veteran.
[E.] F. The revenue from the special registration
plates for the armed forces veterans fee imposed by Subsection
B of this section shall be distributed as follows:
(1) seven dollars ($7.00) of the fee collected for each registration plate shall be retained by the department and is appropriated to the department for the manufacture and issuance of the registration plates; and
(2) eight dollars ($8.00) of the fee collected
for each registration plate shall be transferred pursuant to
the provisions of Subsection [F] G of this section.
[F.] G. There is created in the state treasury the
"armed forces veterans license fund". A portion of the fee
collected for each special registration plate for armed forces
veterans, as provided in Subsection [E] F of this section,
shall be transferred to the state treasurer for the credit of
the fund. Expenditures from the fund shall be made on vouchers
issued and signed by the director of veterans' affairs upon
warrants drawn by the department of finance and administration
for the purpose of expanding services to rural areas of the
state, including Native American communities and senior citizen
centers. Any unexpended or unencumbered balance remaining at
the end of any fiscal year in the armed forces veterans license
fund shall not revert to the general fund."
Section 3. Section 66-6-7 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 342, as amended) is amended to read:
"66-6-7. EXEMPTIONS.--
A. Every person who, by the terms and provisions of
Section 7-37-5 NMSA 1978, is entitled to a veteran exemption
and who does not have sufficient real or personal property to
claim the full exemption under that section may be eligible to
pay motor vehicle registration fees at two-thirds the rates
charged on vehicles [which] that the veteran owns. The person
claiming a reduced motor vehicle registration fee shall make an
affidavit that in any claim of a veteran exemption thereafter
during such year, he will set forth the amount of reductions so
received which shall reduce the amount of benefits received
from the real or personal property tax exemption to that
extent. [No] A person shall not receive any reductions of
registration fees in a greater sum during any one year than an
amount equal to the property tax imposed on two thousand
dollars ($2,000) of net taxable value of property in the school
district in which he resides.
B. A one-time waiver of a motor vehicle
registration fee shall be given to an armed forces veteran.
[B.] C. The director shall certify to the proper
county assessor the amount of reduction received under the
provisions of this section by any person, and the assessor
shall note the reduction on his valuation records."
Section 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.--The effective date of the provisions of this act is July 1, 2003.