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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Chavez
ORIGINAL DATE
LAST UPDATED
2/19/07
HB 1293
SHORT TITLE Disabled Persons Plates and Placards
SB
ANALYST Earnest
REVENUE (dollars in thousands)
Estimated Revenue
Recurring
or Non-Rec
Fund
Affected
FY07
FY08
FY09
($4,471)
($4,651) Recurring General Fund
(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)
SOURCES OF INFORMATION
LFC Files
Responses Received From
Taxation and Revenue Department (TRD)
SUMMARY
Synopsis of Bill
House Bill 1293 amends section 66-3-16 of the Motor Vehicle Code to expand eligibility for
special registration plates to include all disabled persons. All disabled persons would be issued a
placard or a plate after submitting a written application to the Motor Vehicle Division of TRD.
Currently, eligibility for the special registration plate is limited to those who have suffered the
loss or loss-of-use of one or both legs and/or one or both arms. The bill also removes the
requirement that proof be provided by a physician, instead inserting language that a licensed
physician has “attested to" a severe mobility impairment.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
According to TRD, this bill would increase the number of persons eligible to receive the
exemption from motor vehicle excise tax (Section 7-14-6 (D) NMSA 1978). The fiscal impact
estimate represents 3.4 percent of total motor vehicle excise tax collections projected for FY
2008 & 2009. Approximately 70,000 New Mexicans currently hold handicapped parking
placards. Also removing the requirement that proof be provided by a licensed physician would
increase the probability of abuse and could have a greater impact on revenues from the motor
vehicle excise tax.
pg_0002
House Bill 1293 – Page
2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The bill would amend the definition of disabled persons and require a disabled person to submit
a written application to the Motor Vehicle Division for the special registration plate and parking
placard.
ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS
TRD indicates that the Motor Vehicle Division would not be able to validate an individual’s
claim for a special plate or placard, because of the removal of the provision requiring proof from
a physician. The division will likely be issuing placard and plates to individuals that do not meet
the requirements.
CONFLICT, DUPLICATION, COMPANIONSHIP, RELATIONSHIP
House Bill 1293 relates to House Bills 483, 465, 1055 and Senate Bills 177, 289, 905.
OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES
Several current bills amend the same section of statute – HB 483, 465, 1055, SB 177, 289, 905.
If each bill is passed and then signed, the last one signed will become compiled law.
BE/mt