DETROIT TEAM PLATES S.B. 571:
COMMITTEE SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 571 (as introduced 5-12-09)
Sponsor: Senator Jud Gilbert, II
Committee: Transportation
Date Completed: 5-14-09
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to do the following:
-- Remove the current limit on State-sponsored fund-raising license plates.
-- Provide for fund-raising plates or collector plates recognizing the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, and the Detroit Pistons.
-- Create the "Detroit Red Wings Fund", the "Detroit Tigers Fund", the "Detroit Lions Fund", and the "Detroit Pistons Fund", and require donations for those plates to be deposited into the respective Fund, to be distributed to the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, the Detroit Tigers Foundation, the Detroit Lions Charities, and the Pistons-Palace Foundation, respectively.
-- Require each of those foundations, beginning February 1, 2011, to submit to the Secretary of State a summary of the previous year's expenditures of the money received under the bill.
The bill is described in detail below.
Plate Limit
The Code allows the Secretary of State (SOS) to develop up to eight State-sponsored fund-raising registration plates and matching State-sponsored collector plates at one time. The bill would remove that limit.
Red Wings, Tigers, Lions & Pistons Plates
Under the bill, a fund-raising plate or collector plate recognizing the Detroit Red Wings, the Detroit Tigers, the Detroit Lions, or the Detroit Pistons would have to bear an appropriate logo. Each of the teams would have to submit a design for its logo to the SOS. The SOS would have to confer with the Michigan Department of State Police to ensure that the designs would not compromise the ability of law enforcement agencies to identify specific vehicles accurately.
Registration plates bearing a Detroit Red Wings, Detroit Tigers, Detroit Lions, or Detroit Pistons logo could not duplicate another registration plate. Each of the teams would have to comply with certain provisions in the Code regarding the design of special organization plates.
The bill would create the Detroit Red Wings Fund, the Detroit Tigers Fund, the Detroit Lions Fund, and the Detroit Pistons Fund within the State Treasury. The State Treasurer could receive money or other assets from any source for deposit into the Funds. The Treasurer would have to direct the investment of the Funds and credit to them interest and earnings from Fund investments. Money in the Funds at the close of the fiscal year would have to remain in the Funds and not lapse to the State General Fund.
The SOS would have to transfer the donation money from the sale of fund-raising plates recognizing the teams to the State Treasurer, who would have to credit the donation money to the appropriate Fund. The State Treasurer would have to disburse money in the Funds on a quarterly basis to the Detroit Red Wings Foundation, the Detroit Tigers Foundation, the Detroit Lions Charities, and the Pistons-Palace Foundation, as applicable.
Beginning February 1, 2011, each of those foundations would have to submit to the Treasurer a summary of the expenditures during the preceding year 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 would be paid to the Department, separately from the Detroit Red Wings Fund, the Detroit Tigers Fund, the Detroit Lions Fund, and the Detroit Pistons Fund proposed in the bill.
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. sb571/0910