BLUE STAR FAMILY LICENSE PLATE

Senate Bill 118 (H-2) as referred to second House committee

Sponsor:  Sen. Kevin Daley

1st House Committee:  Military, Veterans and Homeland Security

2nd House Committee:  Ways and Means

Senate Committee:  Families, Seniors and Veterans

Complete to 2-7-20

SUMMARY:

Senate Bill 118 would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to create a “Blue Star Family” special registration plate and allow a member of a Blue Star Family to apply to the Secretary of State to be issued one. The plate would be inscribed with special identification numbers preceded by a Blue Star Families insignia and would have the words “Blue Star Family” inscribed beneath the registration number.

An application for a Blue Star Family special registration plate would be on a form prescribed by the Secretary of State and would have to be accompanied by any proof required by the Secretary of State that the applicant was a Blue Star Family member. The applicant would also have to pay a $5 service fee in addition to the applicable vehicle registration tax.

Blue Star Family member would mean a person who is currently serving, or who has an immediate family member serving, in the United States Armed Forces or in forces incorporated as part of the United States Armed Forces.

Immediate family member would mean a parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, foster parent standing in loco parentis, child, stepchild, adopted child, sibling, half-sibling, spouse, or grandparent.

MCL 257.803e

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would create a marginal one-time cost for the Department of State (DOS) and have no fiscal impact on local units of government. DOS would incur the cost of approximately $45,000 related to the production of a new special registration plate. The costs of producing a new specialty plate are primarily due to the cost of computer programming. This cost could be supported with current ongoing appropriations.

POSITIONS:

A representative of Blue Star Mothers of America testified in support of the bill. (11-5-19)

The following entities indicated support for the bill (12-10-19):

·         Office of the Secretary of State

·         National Guard of Michigan.

·         Veterans of Foreign Wars.

                                                                                        Legislative Analyst:   E. Best

                                                                                                Fiscal Analyst:   Michael Cnossen

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House Fiscal Agency staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.