SENATE BILL 405

53rd legislature - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - first session, 2017

INTRODUCED BY

Carroll H. Leavell and Gay G. Kernan

AN ACT

RELATING TO LICENSE PLATES; CREATING A SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE RECOGNIZING LEA COUNTY AS A GEOGRAPHIC REGION, KNOWN AS AN ENERGYPLEX, THAT IS AMONG THE NATIONAL LEADERS IN ENERGY MINERAL PRODUCTION.

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

     SECTION 1. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code is enacted to read:

     "[NEW MATERIAL] SPECIAL RECOGNITION OF LEA COUNTY AS AN ENERGYPLEX REGISTRATION PLATE.--

          A. The department shall issue a standardized special registration plate with a logo specified in Section 66-3-424 NMSA 1978 indicating that the recipient wishes to recognize Lea county as a geographic region, known as an energyplex, that is among the national leaders in energy mineral production.

          B. For a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), which shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fees, a motor vehicle owner who wishes to recognize Lea county as an energyplex may apply for the issuance of a special registration plate as provided in Subsection A of this section. No two owners shall be issued identically lettered or numbered registration plates.

          C. The twenty-five-dollar ($25.00) 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 recognition of Lea county as an energyplex special registration plate.

          D. The revenue from the recognition of Lea county as an energyplex special registration plate fee imposed by Subsection B of this section shall be distributed as follows:                 (1) ten dollars ($10.00) 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) fifteen dollars ($15.00) of the fee collected for each registration plate shall be distributed to the economic development department for projects developed under the Local Economic Development Act."