DUCKS UNLIMITED SPECIALTY PLATE - S.B. 193: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
sans-serif">Senate Bill 193 (as introduced 2-18-03)
Sponsor: Senator Bruce Patterson
Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to require the Secretary of State to develop a State-sponsored Ducks Unlimited fund-raising registration plate; and require service fees collected for the plate to be credited to the Michigan Chapter of Ducks Unlimited for the protection, enhancement, and acquisition of wetlands and associated uplands in this State. The bill would take effect January 1, 2004, and would be repealed on September 30, 2005.
The Secretary of State could issue a State-sponsored Ducks Unlimited registration plate to an applicant for use on the passenger motor vehicle, pickup truck, van, motor home, hearse, bus, trailer coach, or trailer for which the Ducks Unlimited plate, instead of a standard registration plate, was issued. An application for a Ducks Unlimited plate would have to be submitted to the Secretary of State according to procedures prescribed in Section 217 of the Code. (That section governs the vehicle registration application process.)
An application for an original or renewal Ducks Unlimited plate would have to be accompanied by payment of the regular vehicle registration tax in addition to a service fee as provided in Section 811f. (Under that section, an application for an original fund-raising plate must be accompanied by a $25 fund-raising donation, payment of the regular registration tax, and a $10 service fee. An application for renewal of a fund-raising plate must be accompanied by payment of the regular registration tax and a $10 donation.)
The Secretary of State would have to identify Ducks Unlimited fund-raising registration service fees and segregate them into a separate account. After deducting the manufacturing and administrative costs of the Secretary of State, including administrative costs associated with issuing, replacing, and substituting plates, the Secretary of State would have to transfer the balance of the service fees to the State Treasurer, on a quarterly basis. The State Treasurer would have to credit the fee money to the Michigan Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. The money could be spent only to protect, enhance, restore, manage, and acquire wetlands and associated uplands in this State. The Michigan Chapter of Ducks Unlimited, Inc. would have to give the Department of Treasury an annual accounting of money received and used under the bill.
Upon the issuance or renewal of a Ducks Unlimited plate, the Secretary of State could issue a tab or tabs designating the month and year of expiration. A Ducks Unlimited plate would expire as described in Section 226. (Under that section, a vehicle registration expires on the owner’s birthday, unless the Code provides for another expiration date or unless the registration is for a specific type of vehicle listed in Section 226.)
The Secretary of State could issue a temporary registration permit to a person who submitted an application and the proper payments for a Ducks Unlimited plate, if the applicant’s current vehicle registration would expire before he or she received a Ducks Unlimited plate. The temporary registration would expire when the person received a Ducks Unlimited plate or 60 days after the plate was issued, whichever occurred first. The temporary permit would have to be issued without a separate fee.
State-sponsored Ducks Unlimited plates would have to bear letters and numbers, and be of a design, as prescribed by the Secretary of State. The word “Michigan” would have to appear on the plate.
Currently, the Code permits the Secretary of State, at any one time, to develop up to seven different State-sponsored fund-raising registration plates. The bill would increase that number to eight.
MCL 257.811e et al. - Legislative Analyst: George Towne
FISCAL IMPACT
The Department of State would incur up-front costs for the development of the plate. The extent to which costs would be offset would depend on the number of plates sold.
Pursuant to MCL 257.811f, an application for a Michigan university or State-sponsored fund-raising registration plate must be accompanied by a $25 fund-raising donation, payment of the regular vehicle registration tax, and a $10 service fee. Renewal of a fund-raising registration plate must be accompanied by payment of the regular vehicle registration tax and a $10 fund-raising donation.
In FY 2001-02, fund-raising plates for special causes totaled 75,307 transactions generating $1,535,900 in revenue sent to the special causes. Transactions for University plates totaled 69,890 in FY 2001-02 with $1,089,775 in revenue sent to universities.
- Fiscal Analyst: Bill BowermanS0304\s193sa
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.