BREAST/CERVICAL CANCER LICENSE PLATE S.B. 389:
ANALYSIS AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE
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Senate Bill 389 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Senator Glenn S. Anderson
Committee: Transportation
Date Completed: 6-2-11
RATIONALE
Amendments to the Michigan Vehicle Code in 2000 provided for the creation of up to six State-sponsored fund-raising license plates for the benefit of specific charitable causes. Purchasers of a fund-raising plate must pay a $25 donation and a $10 service fee above the cost of a standard plate. The $25 is then deposited into a designated fund to be used for the cause associated with the plate. The original six fund-raising plates support wildlife habitat protection, lighthouse preservation, water quality protection, agricultural heritage, the Children's Trust Fund, and the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial Monument Fund. Since 2000, the limit on State-sponsored fund-raising plates has been increased twice, to allow for the creation of an "American Pride" plate and a "Support our Troops" plate. The Secretary of State reports that it has issued a total of about 986,000 State-sponsored fund-raising plates since it began on April 2, 2001, as well as an additional 994,000 plates recognizing various Michigan universities. It has been suggested that the current limit on fund-raising plates be eliminated and that a license plate in support of the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program (BCCCP) be created. (The BCCCP is described below, under BACKGROUND).
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Eliminate the eight-plate limit on State-sponsored fund-raising license plates.
-- Require the Secretary of State (SOS) to develop a fund-raising plate and collector plate recognizing the Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.
-- Create the "Breast Cancer Awareness Fund" and require donations for those plates to be deposited into the Fund.
The Code allows the SOS, at one time, to develop up to eight State-sponsored fund-raising registration plates and matching State-sponsored collector plates. The bill would eliminate the limit.
Under the bill, the SOS would have to develop under Section 811e and could issue under Section 811f a fund-raising plate and collector plate recognizing the BCCCP. The SOS would have to design the plates in conjunction with the BCCCP. The SOS would have to transfer fund-raising donations for the plates to the State Treasurer.
(Section 811e prescribes a $15,000 start-up fee for new fund-raising plates authorized under the section. The SOS may not develop or issue a fund-raising plate unless a public act authorizing the plate identifies its purpose; creates a nonprofit fund or designates an existing nonprofit fund to receive the money raised through the sale of the fund-raising plates and matching collector plates; and names the person or entity responsible for administering the fund.
Section 811f prescribes a $25 donation and a $10 service fee, in addition to the regular vehicle registration tax, for an original fund-raising plate. For a renewal, an applicant must pay a $10 donation in addition to the registration tax.)
The bill would create the Breast Cancer Awareness Fund within the State Treasury. The State Treasurer would have to credit the donation money from the sale of the plates to that Fund, and disburse money in the Fund on a quarterly basis to the BCCCP.
Beginning February 1, 2013, the BCCCP would have to submit to the Department of Treasury a summary of the preceding year's expenditures of money received under the bill.
MCL 257.811e et al.
BACKGROUND
The BCCCP, a program within the Department of Community Health, provides low-income women with cancer screening services and follow-up care, including cancer treatment, through a network of local health departments and more than 700 contracted providers around the State.
To be eligible for services through the BCCCP, a woman must have an income less than or equal to 250% of the Federal poverty level; be uninsured or underinsured for cancer screening tests; and be between the ages of 40 and 64 for breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up of abnormalities, or be between the ages of 18 and 39 and be identified with a cervical abnormality through the Federal Title X Family Planning program.
If a woman is diagnosed with cancer through the BCCCP, she may enroll in Medicaid, if eligible, to receive coverage for all medical expenses while she is being treated for the cancer. The woman is eligible for Medicaid coverage until she is free from cancer or no longer meets the BCCCP eligibility criteria.
ARGUMENTS
(Please note: The arguments contained in this analysis originate from sources outside the Senate Fiscal Agency. The Senate Fiscal Agency neither supports nor opposes legislation.)
Supporting Argument
The BCCCP provides the uninsured and underinsured with life-saving breast and cervical cancer screening services and treatment. By providing the screening services, the program identifies women with cancer at an early stage, when treatment is less expensive and the chances of survival are greater. Reportedly, more than 400,000 women have received screening and diagnostic services through the BCCCP over the last 20 years.
While the BCCCP is supported by several sources, the program has experienced funding cuts in recent years. The revenue from the sale of the proposed license plate would help alleviate budget shortfalls and maximize the program's ability to continue providing critical services and compassionate care to underserved women throughout Michigan.
Response: The current limit on the number of fund-raising plates was enacted to prevent the proliferation of license plate designs. For law enforcement purposes, it is preferable to minimize the number of different designs, so officers are able to distinguish Michigan plates from out-of-State plates quickly and accurately.
Legislative Analyst: Julie Cassidy
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 of State from the Breast Cancer Awareness Fund proposed in the bill; 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 Michigan Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program.
The bill would have no fiscal impact on local government.
Fiscal Analyst: Joe CarrascoAnalysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb389/1112