AN ACT

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES; ENACTING A DESCRIPTION OF AND REQUIREMENTS FOR A STANDARDIZED SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATE; PROVIDING FOR A STANDARDIZED SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATE WITH A LOGO FOR NEW MEXICO LETTER CARRIERS; IMPOSING A FEE; MAKING AN APPROPRIATION.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

Section 1. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code, Section 66-3-424 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

"66-3-424. STANDARDIZED SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES WITH LOGOS.--

A. Standardized special registration plates with logos may be authorized by statute to show state support for worthy public purposes. The authorizing statute shall provide for collection of fees that, at a minimum, will cover the costs to the division of development, manufacture and issuance of the special registration plates and logos.

B. Standardized special registration plates, on the standardized areas, shall:

(1) display the colors of the state flag, red lettering on a yellow background;

(2) display the phrases "New Mexico USA" and "Land of Enchantment";

(3) provide a space for applying the special registration logo, centered at the left edge of the plate, between the attachment holes, beginning one-fourth inch in from the edge of the plate and having the following dimensions: four and one-eighth inches in height and three and one-eighth inches in width; and

(4) provide a vehicle registration number, to be assigned by the division, that consists of five alphanumeric characters displayed to the right of the special logo area.

C. Special registration logos, except for the standard dimension specified in Paragraph (3) of Subsection B of this section, shall be left to the design discretion of the division, in consultation with the public purpose interest group that requests the special registration plate.

D. Standardized special registration plates with logos, when authorized by statute for a particular public purpose interest group, shall meet the requirements specified in this subsection prior to plate issuance by the division. The public purpose interest group, no later than the effective date of the authorizing statute:

(1) shall provide evidence acceptable to the division that it will generate a minimum number of prepaid applications as determined by the division for the special registration plate with logo;

(2) shall provide a prepayment to the division in an amount sufficient to cover the plate and logo cost of the initial order;

(3) shall provide a sample of the requested artwork design in a format specified by the plate manufacturer for the specialized logo; and

(4) in cases where the authorizing statute includes revenue-sharing with distribution directed to a particular group or fund, shall show that the recipient is a governmental entity or a fund authorized for the use of a governmental entity.

E. The division may promulgate rules for implementation of the provisions of this section."

Section 2. A new section of the Motor Vehicle Code, Section 66-3-424.1 NMSA 1978, is enacted to read:

"66-3-424.1. SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES FOR NEW MEXICO LETTER CARRIERS.--

A. The department shall issue a standardized special registration plate with a logo specified in Section 66-3-424 NMSA 1978 indicating that the recipient is an active letter carrier with the United States postal service upon the submission by the person of proof satisfactory to the department that he is currently an active letter carrier. Such proof shall include the submission of a signed consent form from a postmaster.

B. A person shall not represent himself to be a letter carrier if that person is, in fact, not a letter carrier. The secretary shall determine what constitutes satisfactory proof of employment as a letter carrier with the United States postal service.

C. A person who violates the provisions of Subsection B of this section is guilty of a petty misdemeanor and shall be sentenced pursuant to Section 31-19-1 NMSA 1978.

D. A fee of twenty-five dollars ($25.00), which shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee, shall be collected by the department for the original issuance of the special registration plate for letter carriers.

E. Ten dollars ($10.00) of the fee collected pursuant to Subsection D of this section shall be retained by the department and is appropriated to the department to defray the cost of making and issuing special registration plates for letter carriers. The remaining fifteen dollars ($15.00) shall be deposited in the motor vehicle suspense fund for distribution in accordance with Section 66-6-23 NMSA 1978.

F. The secretary shall approve the final logo design for the special registration plates for letter carriers in accordance with New Mexico law. The secretary shall approve and issue a separate and distinctive logo clearly marked as "letter carrier" for issuance to letter carriers.

G. When the letter carrier holding a special plate ceases to be employed as a letter carrier, he shall immediately remove the plate from the vehicle and return it to the secretary, at which time it shall be exchanged for a regular registration plate."

Section 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.--Except for Section 1 of this act, the effective date of the provisions of this act is January 1, 2004. The effective date of the provisions of Section 1 of this act is July 1, 2003.

HB 379

Page 4