46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2003

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLE FEES; INCREASING ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE FEES; INCREASING DISTRIBUTIONS FROM THE MOTOR VEHICLE SUSPENSE FUND; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. Section 66-2-16 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 20, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-2-16. ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE FEES--COLLECTION--REMITTANCE--PAYMENT--OPTIONAL SERVICE FEES--APPROPRIATION.--

A. The secretary is authorized to establish by rule [or regulation] a schedule of administrative service fees to be collected by the agents or department to defray the costs of operation of the agents' or department's offices and of rendering service to the public. Fees shall be [fifty cents ($.50)] one dollar ($1.00) for each item or transaction or service performed by the agent or department for the secretary and shall be collected in addition to all other fees and taxes imposed.

B. All sums collected by an agent or the department as administrative service fees shall be remitted as provided in Section 66-2-15 NMSA 1978.

C. Administrative service fees remitted by department employees shall be deposited by the state treasurer into the motor vehicle suspense fund and distributed in accordance with Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978.

D. Notwithstanding the provisions of Subsections A through C of this section, no class A county with a population exceeding three hundred thousand or municipality with a population exceeding three hundred thousand within a class A county designated as an agent pursuant to Section 66-2-14.1 NMSA 1978 shall be paid an administrative service fee.

E. The secretary is authorized to establish by [regulation] rule fees to cover the expense of providing additional services for the convenience of the motoring public. Any service established for which a fee is adopted pursuant to this subsection shall be optional, with the fee not being charged to any person not taking advantage of the service. Amounts collected pursuant to this subsection are appropriated to the department for the purpose of defraying the expense of providing the service.

F. The secretary shall review, at the end of each fiscal year, the aggregate total of motor vehicle transactions performed by each municipality, county or fee agent operating a motor vehicle field office, and identify each office exceeding ten thousand aggregate transactions per year."

Section 2. Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 1978, Chapter 35, Section 358, as amended) is amended to read:

"66-6-23. DISPOSITION OF FEES.--

A. After the necessary disbursements for refunds and other purposes have been made, the money remaining in the motor vehicle suspense fund, except for remittances received within the previous two months that are unidentified as to source or disposition, shall be distributed as follows:

(1) to each municipality, county or fee agent operating a motor vehicle field office:

(a) an amount equal to [six dollars ($6.00)] eight dollars ($8.00) per driver's license and [three dollars ($3.00)] five dollars ($5.00) per identification card or motor vehicle or motorboat registration or title transaction performed; and

(b) for each such agent determined by the secretary pursuant to Section 66-2-16 NMSA 1978 to have performed ten thousand or more transactions in the preceding fiscal year, other than a class A county with a population exceeding three hundred thousand or any municipality with a population exceeding three hundred thousand that has been designated as an agent pursuant to Section 66-2-14.1 NMSA 1978, an amount equal to one dollar ($1.00) in addition to the amount distributed pursuant to Subparagraph (a) of this paragraph for each driver's license, identification card, motor vehicle registration, motorboat registration or title transaction performed;

(2) to each municipality or county, other than a class A county with a population exceeding three hundred thousand or a municipality with a population exceeding three hundred thousand designated as an agent pursuant to Section 66-2-14.1 NMSA 1978, operating a motor vehicle field office, an amount equal to [fifty cents ($.50)] one dollar ($1.00) for each administrative service fee remitted by that county or municipality to the department pursuant to the provisions of Subsection A of Section 66-2-16 NMSA 1978;

(3) to the state road fund:

(a) an amount equal to the fees collected pursuant to [Section] Sections 66-7-413 and 66-7-413.4 NMSA 1978;

(b) an amount equal to the fee collected pursuant to Section 66-3-417 NMSA 1978;

(c) the remainder of each driver's license fee collected by the department employees from an applicant to whom a license is granted after deducting from the driver's license fee the amount of the distribution authorized in Paragraph (1) of this subsection with respect to that collected driver's license fee; and

(d) an amount equal to fifty percent of the fees collected pursuant to Section 66-6-19 NMSA 1978;

(4) to the local governments road fund, the amount of the fees collected pursuant to Subsection B of Section 66-5-33.1 NMSA 1978 and the remainder of the fees collected pursuant to Subsection A of Section 66-5-408 NMSA 1978;

(5) to the department:

(a) any amounts reimbursed to the department pursuant to Subsection C of Section 66-2-14.1 NMSA 1978;

(b) an amount equal to two dollars ($2.00) of each motorcycle registration fee collected pursuant to Section 66-6-1 NMSA 1978;

(c) an amount equal to the fees provided for in Subsection D of Section 66-2-7 NMSA 1978, Subsection E of Section 66-2-16 NMSA 1978, Subsections J and K of Section 66-3-6 NMSA 1978 other than the administrative fee, Subsection C of Section 66-5-44 NMSA 1978 and Subsection B of Section 66-5-408 NMSA 1978;

(d) the amounts due to the department pursuant to Paragraph (1) of Subsection E of Section 66-3-419 NMSA 1978, Subsection E of Section 66-3-422 NMSA 1978 and Subsection E of Section 66-3-423 NMSA 1978; and

(e) an amount equal to the registration fees collected pursuant to Section 66-6-6.1 NMSA 1978 for the purposes of enforcing the provisions of the Mandatory Financial Responsibility Act and for creating and maintaining a multilanguage noncommercial driver's license testing program;

(6) to each New Mexico institution of higher education, an amount equal to that part of the fees distributed pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of Section 66-3-416 NMSA 1978 proportionate to the number of special registration plates issued in the name of the institution to all such special registration plates issued in the name of all institutions;

(7) to the armed forces veterans license fund, the amount to be distributed pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subsection E of Section 66-3-419 NMSA 1978;

(8) to the children's trust fund, the amount to be distributed pursuant to Paragraph (2) of Subsection D of Section 66-3-420 NMSA 1978;

(9) to the state highway and transportation department, an amount equal to the fees collected pursuant to Section 66-5-35 NMSA 1978;

(10) to the state equalization guarantee distribution made annually pursuant to the general appropriation act, an amount equal to one hundred percent of the driver safety fee collected pursuant to Subsection D of Section 66-5-44 NMSA 1978;

(11) to the motorcycle training fund, two dollars ($2.00) of each motorcycle registration fee collected pursuant to Section 66-6-1 NMSA 1978;

(12) to the highway infrastructure fund, all tire recycling fees collected pursuant to the provisions of Sections 66-6-1, 66-6-2, 66-6-4, 66-6-5 and 66-6-8 NMSA 1978;

(13) to each county, an amount equal to fifty percent of the fees collected pursuant to Section 66-6-19 NMSA 1978 multiplied by a fraction, the numerator of which is the total mileage of public roads maintained by the county and the denominator of which is the total mileage of public roads maintained by all counties in the state; and

(14) to the litter control and beautification fund, an amount equal to the fees collected pursuant to Section 66-6-6.2 NMSA 1978.

B. The balance, exclusive of unidentified remittances, shall be distributed in accordance with Section 66-6-23.1 NMSA 1978.

C. If any of the paragraphs, subsections or sections referred to in Subsection A of this section are recompiled or otherwise re-designated without a corresponding change to Subsection A of this section, the reference in Subsection A of this section shall be construed to be the recompiled or re-designated paragraph, subsection or section."

Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--

A. The effective date of the provisions of Section 1 of this act is July 1, 2003.

B. The effective date of the provisions of Section 2 of this act is August 1, 2003.