HOUSE BILL No. 4957

 

May 19, 2009, Introduced by Reps. Espinoza, Terry Brown, Neumann, Polidori and Lori 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 2006 PA 562,

 

and by adding section 811r.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

     Sec. 811e. (1) Beginning January 1, 2007, the The secretary of

 

state may develop a fund-raising plate as provided in this section.

 

     (2) A start-up fee of $15,000.00 shall be paid for any new

 

fund-raising plate authorized under this section, which fee shall

 

be deposited in the transportation administration collection fund

 

to be used for the cost of creating, producing, and issuing fund-

 

raising plates. If the fee described in this subsection is not paid

 

within 18 months of after the effective date of the public act that

 


authorizes the development and issuance of a fund-raising plate,

 

then the related fund-raising plate shall not be created, produced,

 

or issued. A start-up fee paid under this subsection is

 

nonrefundable.

 

     (3) Not less than 3 years after the secretary of state first

 

issues 1 of the fund-raising plates as described in subsection (1)

 

and upon payment of $2,000.00, the Michigan university or other

 

person sponsoring that fund-raising plate may redesign it as

 

approved by the secretary of state. The payment required under this

 

subsection shall be deposited in the transportation administration

 

collection fund to be used for the cost of creating, producing, and

 

issuing fund-raising plates. A payment under this subsection is

 

nonrefundable.

 

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

 

registration plates to recognize a Michigan university or an

 

accomplishment or occasion of a Michigan university.

 

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

 

more than 8 9 different state sponsored fund-raising registration

 

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

 

collector plates as described in section 811g.

 

     (6) The secretary of state shall not develop or issue a fund-

 

raising plate unless a public act authorizing the fund-raising

 

plate, at a minimum, does all of the following:

 

     (a) Identifies the purpose of the fund-raising plate.

 

     (b) Creates a nonprofit fund or designates an existing

 

nonprofit fund to receive the money raised through the sale of

 

fund-raising plates and matching collector plates.

 


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

 

responsible for administering the fund.

 

     Sec. 811r. (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, 2011, 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, 2011, 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.