HOUSE BILL No. 5511

December 14, 2005, Introduced by Reps. Ward, Farhat, Elsenheimer, Gillard, Accavitti, Sheltrown, Espinoza, Stakoe, Miller, Pavlov, Green, Sak, Vagnozzi, Schuitmaker, Taub, Jones, Baxter, Kahn, Gaffney and Waters and referred to the Committee on Transportation.

 

     A bill to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled

 

"Michigan vehicle code,"

 

by amending section 811e (MCL 257.811e), as amended by 2001 PA 124,

 

and by adding section 811o.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 811e. (1) The secretary of state may develop a Michigan

 

university fund-raising registration plate as described in this

 

section, and a matching Michigan university collector plate as

 

described in section 811g.

 

     (2) The secretary of state may develop 1 or more limited term

 

registration plates to recognize a state-sponsored event, a

 

Michigan university, or an accomplishment or occasion of a Michigan

 

university.


 

     (3) The secretary of state may, at any 1 time, develop  not

 

more than 7 different  state-sponsored fund-raising registration

 

plates as described in this section, and matching state-sponsored

 

collector plates as described in section 811g. As used in this

 

section, "state-sponsored fund-raising registration plate" means a

 

fund-raising registration plate authorized by a public act to raise

 

funds for a state-sponsored goal. The public act shall, at a

 

minimum, do all of the following:

 

     (a) Identify the purpose of the state-sponsored fund-raising

 

registration plate.

 

     (b) Create a fund or designate an existing fund to receive the

 

money raised through the sale of state-sponsored fund-raising

 

registration plates and matching collector plates.

 

     (c) If a fund is created, name the person or entity

 

responsible for administering the fund.

 

     (4) The secretary of state may develop, promote, and market

 

the fund-raising registration plates and matching collector plates

 

issued under this section with the funds available through service

 

fees.

 

     (5) If the design or logo of a Michigan university fund-

 

raising registration plate or a state-sponsored fund-raising

 

registration plate uses 1 or more designs, trade names, trademarks,

 

service marks, emblems, symbols, or other images that are owned by

 

the Michigan university that is requesting the Michigan university

 

fund-raising plate, the person or entity that is sponsoring a

 

state-sponsored fund-raising plate, or any other person or entity,

 

the Michigan university or sponsoring person or entity shall grant


 

to or obtain for the secretary of state both of the following

 

pursuant  according to a written agreement between the parties:

 

     (a) A nonexclusive worldwide license to use those designs,

 

trade names, trademarks, service marks, emblems, symbols, or other

 

images on and in conjunction with the marketing, promotion, sale,

 

or copyrighting of the registration plate or image of the

 

registration plate.

 

     (b) The authority to merchandise the registration plate or an

 

image of the registration plate.

 

     (6) In using or employing a design, trade name, trademark,

 

service mark, emblem, symbol, logo, or other image on and in

 

conjunction with the marketing, promotion, sale, copyrighting, or

 

merchandising of a registration plate or image of the registration

 

plate, the secretary of state may alter the size of the design,

 

trade name, trademark, service mark, emblem, symbol, logo, or other

 

image but shall not change the color or design of the design, trade

 

name, trademark, service mark, emblem, symbol, logo, or other image

 

without the prior written consent of the respective Michigan

 

university or sponsoring person or entity. The secretary of state

 

shall not use or employ a design, trade name, trademark, service

 

mark, emblem, symbol, logo, or other image on and in conjunction

 

with the marketing, promotion, sale, copyrighting, or merchandising

 

of a registration plate or an image of the registration plate in

 

any manner that is offensive to the Michigan university or

 

sponsoring person or entity that complies with subsection (5).

 

     (7) As used in this section, "Michigan university fund-raising

 

registration plate" means a fund-raising registration plate that is


 

issued under this section at the request of a Michigan university.

 

     Sec. 811o. (1) The secretary of state shall develop under

 

section 811e and issue a Thin Blue Line fund-raising plate under

 

section 811f and a matching Thin Blue Line collector plate as

 

provided under section 811g. The secretary of state in conjunction

 

with the Thin Blue Line of Michigan shall design the plates, having

 

the words "Thin Blue Line" and "Michigan" on the plates.

 

     (2) The owner of a vehicle required to be registered under

 

this act may apply, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state,

 

for a Thin Blue Line fund-raising plate as prescribed in section

 

811f instead of a standard registration plate.

 

     (3) The secretary of state shall transfer the donation money

 

from the sale of Thin Blue Line fund-raising and collector plates

 

to the state treasurer, who shall credit the donation money as

 

follows:

 

     (a) $15.00 to the Thin Blue Line fund established under

 

subsection (4).

 

     (b) $5.00 to the police officer's and fire fighter's survivor

 

tuition fund established under subsection (7).

 

     (c) $5.00 to the crime victim's rights fund created in section

 

4 of 1989 PA 196, MCL 780.904.

 

     (4) The Thin Blue Line fund is created within the state

 

treasury. The state treasurer may receive money or other assets

 

from any source for deposit into the fund. The state treasurer

 

shall direct the investment of the fund. The state treasurer shall

 

credit to the fund interest and earnings from fund investments.

 

Money in the fund at the close of the fiscal year shall remain in


 

the fund and shall not lapse to the general fund.

 

     (5) The state treasurer shall disburse money in the fund on a

 

quarterly basis to the Thin Blue Line of Michigan, P.O. Box 415,

 

Howell, Michigan 48844-0415 or a successor address. Beginning not

 

later than February 1, 2007, and annually after that, an

 

organization receiving money under this section shall report to the

 

state treasurer. A report under this subsection shall include a

 

summary of expenditures during the preceding year of the money

 

received under this section.

 

     (6) The Thin Blue Line of Michigan shall expend the money

 

received under this section solely to assist and support the

 

families of injured or deceased officers of law enforcement

 

agencies within this state.

 

     (7) The police officer's and fire fighter's survivor tuition

 

fund is established within the state treasury. The state treasurer

 

may receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into

 

the fund. The state treasurer shall direct the investment of the

 

fund. The state treasurer shall credit to the fund interest and

 

earnings from fund investments. Money in the fund at the close of

 

the fiscal year shall remain in the fund and shall not lapse to the

 

general fund.

 

     (8) The state treasurer shall disburse money in the fund on a

 

quarterly basis to the department of state police. Beginning not

 

later than February 1, 2007, the department of state police shall

 

submit to the state treasurer a summary of the expenditures during

 

the preceding year of the money received under this section.

 

     (9) The department of state police shall expend the money


 

received under this section solely to assist and support the police

 

officer's and fire fighter's survivor tuition act, 1996 PA 195, MCL

 

390.1241 to 390.1246.