HB 0687

AN ACT establishing adoption services number plates.

SPONSORS: Rep. B. Richardson, Ches 26; Rep. Keans, Straf 67; Rep. Weed, Ches 25; Rep. Dokmo, Hills 47

This bill establishes adoption services number plates. Funds generated by the adoption services number plates shall be distributed annually to persons licensed by state law to place minors for adoption.

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Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

1 New Subparagraph; General Revenue Exceptions; Adoption Services Number Plate Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I by inserting after subparagraph (lllllllll) the following new subparagraph:

(mmmmmmmmm) Moneys deposited in the adoption services number plate fund under RSA 261:91-a.

2 New Section; Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles; Adoption Services Number Plates. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 91 the following new section:

I.(a) The director is hereby authorized to issue special adoption services number plates, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined by the commissioner. The plates shall retain the "live free or die" logo. Plates may be used on passenger motor vehicles and recreation vehicles. Such plates shall be issued only upon application and upon payment of a $30 fee that shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee and any other number plate fees otherwise required.

(b) The commissioner is also authorized to issue vanity adoption services number plates. The fee for any such vanity adoption services number plate shall be the fee as provided in subparagraph I(a), in addition to the fees for vanity plates which are otherwise established by law. The vanity plate portion of the fee shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:89 and RSA 263:52.

(c) Plates shall be renewed on an annual basis for $30 per set. Of this sum, the department shall retain an amount as is necessary to recover production and administrative costs as approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. The remaining funds shall be paid to the state treasurer and distributed as provided in paragraph II. The cost of replacement number plates shall be identical to the cost of initial number plates and the revenue from replacement number plates shall be distributed in the same manner as revenue derived from initial number plates.

II. There is hereby established an adoption services plate fund under the administration of the state treasurer. The fund shall be used to benefit adoption services. The fund shall be nonlapsing. The state treasurer shall distribute the funds annually on July 1, as follows: the balance in the fund shall be distributed equally among all persons licensed by state law to place minors for adoption in the form of adoption services grants.

The Department of Safety has determined state restricted revenue will increase by $150,000 in FY 2004 and each year thereafter. State restricted expenditures will increase by $97,500 in FY 2004. There will be no fiscal impact on county and local revenue or expenditures.

The Department stated this bill will establish special adoption services number plates. The annual fee will be $30 in addition to the normal registration and plate fees already established. Although the number of persons who will choose to purchase these plates is unknown, the Department will use for this purpose, the minimum number of plates for any new issue of 5,000 pairs. The Department estimates that the minimum startup costs of any new plate issue is $30,000 for various items, such as computer time, planning time, artist fees, special printing, handling, and accounting. In addition, the cost to manufacture the minimum issue of 5,000 pairs of plates is approximately $67,500, for a total minimum cost of $97,500. If only these plates will be issued and renewed, then these manufacturing costs will only occur in the first year. Future years will show only additional revenue from renewals. The Department calculated annual restricted revenue of $150,000 ($30 x 5,000 plates) beginning in FY 2004.