BILL ANALYSIS AND FISCAL IMPACT REPORT	Page 1 of  1

DATE: February 21, 2001	Submitted by: TAXATION AND REVENUE DEPT.       
	T. GLENN ELLINGTON, SECRETARY
BILL NUMBER:  SB-771

SPONSOR:  Senator Griego

BILL SHORT TITLE:  Retired Firefighter Special License Plate

CONFLICTS, DUPLICATES, COMPANIONS:  

DESCRIPTION:   This bill would create a new special license plate for vehicles owned by retired professional firefighters.  Retiring professional firefighters would be required to return their “New Mexico firefighter” special plate and could be issued the new “retired firefighter” plate.  Under current law, a retiring firefighter “may retain the special plate” issued while actively employed as a firefighter.

EFFECTIVE DATE:  Not specified – assume 90 days following adjournment (approx. June 15, 2001)

FISCAL IMPACT (Thousands of dollars)   Parenthesis ( ) indicate a revenue loss:

Estimated Impact on Revenues    	Recurring or		
			Nonrecurring	Funds	
	(FY 2001-2002)	(FY 2002-2003)	     Impact     	         Affected         	
	*	*	Recurring	State Road Fund ($9.98 per plate)	
	*	*	Recurring	Counties ($3.01 per plate)	
	*	*	Recurring	Municipalities ($0.80 per plate)	
	*	*	Recurring	Counties & Municipalities ($1.21 per plate)	
	*	*	Recurring	Motor Vehicle Division ($10 per plate)	

The department has no information on the number of retired professional New Mexico firefighters.  Presumably the revenue gains from issuing them new plates with an associated one-time fee would not result in a noticeable fiscal impact on the State Road Fund or local governments.

TECHNICAL ISSUE:
•	There is no transition provision for retired New Mexico firefighters who retained their special plate upon retirement in the past.  On the effective date of this bill, they would technically be required to turn-in their old plate and be issued a new “retired firefighter” plate.  The Motor Vehicle Division does not intend to strictly enforce this issue, and would allow new plates to be issued over the course of the normal re-registration cycle. It is also possible the new plates would not yet be available on the effective date of the bill.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPACT:  No substantial administrative impact on the department.

OTHER IMPACTS AND ISSUES:

•	The bill is fairly clear that the retired firefighter plate is for retired New Mexico firefighters (professional), and is not intended for retired volunteer firefighters.

•	Laws 1998, Chapter 21 (1998 HB-190) enacted a new section of the Motor Vehicle Code which provides special registration plates for any person “employed” as a New Mexico firefighter.  Laws 200, Chapter 70 revised the law to include “an active volunteer firefighter”.  The “volunteer” plate is distinctly different from the “New Mexico firefighter” plate.

•	A one-time $25 fee is charged for the issuance of these special registration plates, $10 of which is to be retained by the Department, and the remaining amount distributed along with other types of motor vehicle fees (Section 66‑6‑23 and 66-6-23.1 NMSA 1978).

•	Issuing special registration plates for various status firefighters may prove beneficial by providing a means of vehicle identification at a fire scene for traffic control measures.  It is probably appropriate to distinguish between active employed firefighters, volunteer firefighters and (if they are allowed to keep a special plate) retired (professional) firefighters.