WAR OF 1812 LICENSE PLATE S.B. 682:
COMMITTEE SUMMARY
[Please see the PDF version of this analysis, if available, to view this image.]
Senate Bill 682 (as introduced 7-15-09)
Sponsor: Senator Tom George, M.D.
Committee: Transportation
Date Completed: 5-24-10
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Remove the current limit on State-sponsored fund-raising license plates.
-- Require the Secretary of State to develop and issue a fund-raising plate recognizing the bicentennial of the War of 1812.
-- Create the "Mackinac Island State Park Commission Fund" and require donations from the sale of the fund-raising plate to be deposited into the Fund, to be disbursed quarterly to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission.
The Code allows the Secretary of State (SOS), at any one time, to develop up to eight State-sponsored fund-raising registration plates and matching State-sponsored collector plates. The bill would delete that limit.
The bill would require the SOS to design, develop, and issue a fund-raising plate recognizing the bicentennial of the War of 1812, under Sections 811e and 811f of the Code. (Section 811e requires a start-up fee of $15,000 to be paid for any new fund-raising plate. The fee must be used for the cost of creating, producing, and issuing the plate. Under Section 811f, an application for an original fund-raising plate must be accompanied by a $25 fund-raising donation, payment of the regular vehicle registration tax, and a $10 service fee. An application for renewal of a fund-raising plate must be accompanied by payment of the required registration tax and a $10 fund-raising fee.)
The SOS would have to transfer the fund-raising donations for the plate to the State Treasurer.
The bill would create the Mackinac Island State Park Commission Fund within the State Treasury. The State Treasurer would have to credit the donation money received under the bill to that Fund, and disburse money in it on a quarterly basis to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission. The State Treasurer could receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the Fund. The Treasurer would have to direct the investment of the Fund and credit to it interest and earnings from Fund investments. Money in the Fund at the close of the fiscal year would have to remain in the Fund and not lapse into the State General Fund.
Beginning not later than February 1, 2011, the Commission would have to submit to the State Treasurer a summary of the preceding year's expenditures of the money received under the bill.
MCL 257.811e et al. Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would create a start-up cost to the Department of State. The start-up fee of $15,000 prescribed in the Code could be paid to the Department from the proposed Mackinac Island State Park Commission Fund if any money were deposited into it before the fund-raising plate was issued; however, the bill does not include such a requirement. The revenue generated from the fund-raising license plate established under the bill would be deposited into the proposed Fund, after which the State Treasurer would disburse payments from the Fund on a quarterly basis to the Mackinac Island State Park Commission.
The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Joe Carrasco
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. sb682/0910