0001|                            HOUSE BILL 190
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0002|     43RD LEGISLATURE - STATE OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 1998
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0003|                            INTRODUCED BY
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0004|                          JOE NESTOR CHAVEZ
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0005|     
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0006|                                   
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0007|     
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0008|                                   
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0009|     
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0010|                                AN ACT
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0011|     RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; PROVIDING FOR SPECIAL REGISTRATION
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0012|     PLATES FOR NEW MEXICO FIREFIGHTERS; ENACTING A NEW SECTION OF
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0013|     THE MOTOR VEHICLE CODE.
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0014|     
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0015|     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:
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0016|          Section 1.  A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code is
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0017|     enacted to read:
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0018|          "[<u>NEW MATERIAL</u>] SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES FOR
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0019|     FIREFIGHTERS.--
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0020|               A.  The division shall issue special registration
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0021|     plates to any person employed as a New Mexico firefighter,
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0022|     upon the submission by the person of proof satisfactory to the
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0023|     division that he is currently employed as a New Mexico
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0024|     firefighter, including submission of a signed consent form
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0025|     from the fire chief.
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0001|               B.  No person shall represent himself to be a New
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0002|     Mexico firefighter if he is, in fact, not a New Mexico
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0003|     firefighter.  The director shall determine what constitutes
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0004|     satisfactory proof of employment as a New Mexico firefighter.
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0005|               C.  A person who violates the provisions of
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0006|     Subsection B of this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor
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0007|     and shall be sentenced pursuant to Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978.
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0008|               D.  A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), which
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0009|     shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration
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0010|     fee, shall be collected by the department for the original
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0011|     issuance of the special registration plate for New Mexico
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0012|     firefighters.  
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0013|               E.  Ten dollars ($10.00) of the fee collected
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0014|     pursuant to Subsection D of this section shall be retained by
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0015|     the department and is appropriated to the department to defray
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0016|     the cost of making and issuing special registration plates for
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0017|     New Mexico firefighters.
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0018|               F.  The amount of the fee collected pursuant to
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0019|     this section less any amount distributed pursuant to
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0020|     Subsection E of this section shall be deposited in the motor
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0021|     vehicle suspense fund for distribution in accordance with
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0022|     Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978.
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0023|               G.  The director shall approve the final plate
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0024|     design for the special registration plates for New Mexico
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0025|     firefighters in accordance with New Mexico law.
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0001|               H.  When the firefighter holding a special plate
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0002|     ceases to be employed as a firefighter, he shall immediately
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0003|     remove the plate from the vehicle and return it to the
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0004|     director, at which time it shall be exchanged for a regular
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0005|     registration plate.  When a firefighter holding a special
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0006|     plate retires from his position as firefighter, he may retain
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0007|     the special plate."
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0008|                              
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