HOUSE BILL 247
46th legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - second session, 2004
INTRODUCED BY
Edward C. Sandoval
AN ACT
RELATING TO VEHICLE REGISTRATION; UPDATING VETERANS SPECIALTY PLATES; MODIFYING THE REQUIREMENTS FOR STANDARDIZED SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES.
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. 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;
(21) Somalia veteran;
(22) Afghanistan veteran;
(23) Bosnia veteran; or
(24) Iraqi Freedom veteran.
E. 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. 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;
(21) Somalia veteran;
(22) Afghanistan veteran;
(23) Bosnia veteran; or
(24) Iraqi Freedom veteran.
E. 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 of this section.
F. 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 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 66-3-424 NMSA 1978 (being Laws 2003, Chapter 172, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 174, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 175, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 176, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 177, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 178, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 179, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 180, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 181, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 197, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 198, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 201, Section 1 and Laws 2003, Chapter 211, Section 1 and also Laws 2003, Chapter 212, Section 1) is amended to read:
"66-3-424. STANDARDIZED SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES WITH LOGOS.--
A. Standardized special registration plates with logos may be authorized by statute to show state support for worthy public purposes. The authorizing statute shall provide for collection of fees that, at a minimum, will cover the costs to the division of development, manufacture and issuance of the special registration plates and logos.
B. Standardized special registration plates, on the standardized areas, shall:
(1) display the colors of the state flag, red lettering on a yellow or blue background;
(2) display the phrases "New Mexico USA" and "Land of Enchantment";
(3) provide a space for applying the special registration logo, centered at the left edge of the plate, between the attachment holes, beginning one-fourth inch in from the edge of the plate and having the following dimensions: four and one-eighth inches in height and three and one-eighth inches in width; and
(4) provide a vehicle registration number, to be assigned by the division, that consists of five alphanumeric characters displayed to the right of the special logo area.
C. Special registration logos, except for the standard dimension specified in Paragraph (3) of Subsection B of this section, shall be left to the design discretion of the division, in consultation with the public purpose interest group that requests the special registration plate.
D. Standardized special registration plates with logos, when authorized by statute for a particular public purpose interest group, shall meet the requirements specified in this subsection prior to plate issuance by the division. The public purpose interest group, no later than the effective date of the authorizing statute:
(1) shall provide evidence acceptable to the division that it will generate a minimum number of prepaid applications as determined by the division for the special registration plate with logo;
(2) shall provide a prepayment to the division in an amount sufficient to cover the plate and logo cost of the initial order;
(3) shall provide a sample of the requested artwork design in a format specified by the plate manufacturer for the specialized logo; and
(4) in cases where the authorizing statute includes revenue-sharing with distribution directed to a particular group or fund, shall show that the recipient is a governmental entity or a fund authorized for the use of a governmental entity.
E. The division may promulgate rules for implementation of the provisions of this section."
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