S.B. 886: COMMITTEE SUMMARY - ART LOVER REGISTRATION PLATE

Senate Bill 886 (as introduced 2-17-98)

Date Completed: 3-25-98

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to require the Secretary of State to develop a Michigan art lover registration plate, which could be issued instead of a standard registration plate; establish service fees for the original and renewal plates; require the transmission to each county of an amount equal to the service fees collected for art lover plates issued to persons in that county; and require a county board of commissioners to use these funds to provide grants for the purchase and display of art in public places in that county.

Plate Issuance

The Secretary of State, upon application, would be required to issue a Michigan art lover plate to an applicant for use on the passenger motor vehicle, pickup truck, van, or motor home for which the registration plate was issued instead of a standard registration plate. An application for an art lover registration plate would have to be submitted to the Secretary of State according to current vehicle registration procedures.

The expiration date for an art lover registration plate would be pursuant to the Code's provisions on the expiration date of a motor vehicle registration. Upon the issuance or renewal of an art lover registration plate, the Secretary of State could issue a tab designating the month and year of expiration.

The Secretary of State could issue a temporary registration permit to a person who submitted an application and the proper payments for an art lover registration plate, if the applicant's current vehicle registration would expire before he or she received an art lover registration plate. The temporary registration would expire upon receipt of an art lover registration plate or 60 days after the issuance, whichever occurred first. The temporary permit would have to be issued without an additional fee.

Fees

Except as provided in the bill, an application for an original or renewal Michigan art lover registration plate would have to be accompanied by payment of the regular vehicle registration tax in addition to the following service fees:

-- $3 for the first month and $2 per month for each additional month of the registration period, for an original art lover registration plate.

-- $25 for a renewal of an art lover registration plate.

The Secretary of State would have to deposit each service fee with the State Treasurer, who annually would have to transmit an amount to the county board of commissioners of each county that was equal to the service fees collected for the issuance of art lover registration plates to persons in that county during the preceding year. The county commissioners would have to use the funds to provide grants to the county or a local governmental unit located in the county for the purchase and display of art in public places in the county.

Design

The Secretary of State would have to create a design or accept a design for an art lover registration plate submitted by another source. Michigan art lover registration plates could not be a duplication of another registration plate.

Proposed MCL 257.803q - Legislative Analyst: L. Arasim

FISCAL IMPACT

The State would incur administrative costs due to the creation of art lover registration plates. Money collected from the purchase of such plates would be deposited with the State Treasurer and subsequently transmitted to the county boards of commissioners. Currently, there are no data to indicate how many people would purchase these plates. Counties could see increases in revenues from the purchase of these specialty plates. The fiscal impact on State government is indeterminate.

- Fiscal Analyst: E. Limbs

S9798\S886SA

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.