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

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; PROVIDING FOR NAVAJO NATION SPECIAL VEHICLE REGISTRATION PLATES; IMPOSING A FEE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

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

Section 1. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code, Section 66-3-117.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

"66-3-117.1. [NEW MATERIAL] NAVAJO NATION SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES.--

A. The division shall establish and issue Navajo Nation special registration plates in accordance with the provisions of this section and shall adopt and promulgate procedures for application for and issuance of Navajo Nation special registration plates.

B. The division, with the advice and consultation of the Navajo Nation department of highway safety, shall determine the color and design of the Navajo Nation special registration plate and provide for its issuance.

C. For a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fees, an owner of a motor vehicle may apply for the issuance of a Navajo Nation special registration plate. The owner of a motor vehicle shall apply and pay the fee each year that he wishes to retain and renew his Navajo Nation special registration plate.

D. The revenue from the Navajo Nation special registration plates shall be distributed as follows:

(1) ten dollars ($10.00) of the fee collected for each Navajo Nation special registration plate shall be retained by the division in fiscal years 2004 and 2005 and is appropriated to the division for the manufacture and issuance of the registration plates. Thereafter, that amount of each fee shall be paid to the state treasurer for credit to the motor vehicle suspense fund for distribution in accordance with Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978; and

(2) fifteen dollars ($15.00) of the fee collected for each Navajo Nation special registration plate shall be paid to the state treasurer for credit to the motor vehicle suspense fund for distribution in accordance with Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978."

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) per driver's license and three dollars ($3.00) 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) 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 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; and

(15) to the New Mexico office of Indian affairs in an amount equal to the fees collected pursuant to Section 66-3-117.1 NMSA 1978 for distribution to the Navajo Nation department of highway safety for implementation of safety measures on roads throughout the Navajo Nation.

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."