06 LC 34
0561
House
Bill 1194
By:
Representatives Lane of the
167th
and Keen of the
179th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to prestige license plates and special plates for certain
persons and vehicles, so as to provide for a special license plate supporting
education on the maritime history of
Georgiás
coast; to provide for a portion of the revenue to go to The Georgia Maritime
Foundation, Inc.; to provide for issuance, renewal, fees, licensing agreements,
applications, and transfers relative to such special license plates; to provide
for related matters; to provide a contingent effective date; to repeal
conflicting laws; and for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
3 of Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to prestige license plates and special plates for certain persons and vehicles,
is amended by adding a new Code Section 40-2-86.18 to read as
follows:
"40-2-86.18.
(a)
The commissioner, in cooperation with supporters of this license plate, shall
design a special license plate to be issued supporting education on
Georgiás
maritime history. The license plates must be of the same size as general issue
motor vehicle license plates and shall include a unique design and identifying
number, whereby the total number of characters does not exceed six. It shall
not be a requirement that a county name decal shall be fixed and displayed on
license plates issued under this Code section. The graphic on the special
license plate shall be placed to the left of the alphanumeric characters and
shall be no larger than three inches by three inches.
(b)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Code section, this Code section
shall not be implemented until such time as the State of Georgia has, through a
licensing agreement or otherwise, received such licenses or other permissions as
may be required to implement this Code section. The design of the initial
edition of the license plates, as well as the design of subsequent editions and
excepting only any part or parts of the designs owned by others and licensed to
the state, shall be owned solely by the State of Georgia for its exclusive use
and control, except as authorized by the commissioner. The commissioner may
take such steps as may be necessary to give notice of and protect such right,
including the copyright or copyrights. However, such steps shall be cumulative
of the ownership and exclusive use and control established by this subsection as
a matter of law, and no person shall reproduce or otherwise use such design or
designs, except as authorized by the commissioner.
(c)
Beginning on July 1, 2007, any Georgia resident who is the owner of a motor
vehicle, except a vehicle registered under the International Registration Plan,
upon complying with the motor vehicle laws relating to registration and
licensing of motor vehicles and upon the payment of a fee of $25.00 in addition
to the regular motor vehicle registration fee, shall be issued a license plate
supporting education on
Georgiás
maritime history. Special license plates issued under this Code section shall
be renewed annually with a revalidation decal as provided in Code Section
40-2-31 upon payment of an additional $25.00 annual registration fee, which fee
shall be collected by the county tag agent at the time of collection of other
registration fees and remitted to the state as provided in Code Section
40-2-34.
(d)
An applicant may request a license plate supporting education on
Georgiás
maritime history any time during the
applicant́s
registration period. If such a license plate is to replace a current valid
license plate, the license plate shall be issued with appropriate decals
attached.
(e)
The manufacturing fee derived from the sale of license plates supporting
education on
Georgiás
maritime history shall be apportioned as follows: $2.00 to the department,
$13.00 to be deposited into the general fund, and $10.00 to The Georgia Maritime
Foundation, Inc., for support of education on
Georgiás
maritime history.
(f)
No special license plate authorized pursuant to this Code section shall be
issued except upon the receipt of at least 1,000 applications. The special
license plate shall have an application period of two years after January 1,
2007, for payment of the manufacturing fee. After such time if the minimum
number of applications is not met, the department shall not continue to accept
the manufacturing fee, and all fees shall be refunded to
applicants.
(g)
The department shall not be required to continue to manufacture the special
license plate if the number of active registrations falls below 500
registrations at any time during the five-year period as provided in subsection
(b) of Code Section 40-2-31. A current registrant may continue to renew such
special license plate during his or her annual registration period upon payment
of an additional $25.00 annual special tag fee, which fee shall be collected by
the county tag agent at the time of collection of other registration fees and
shall be remitted to the state as provided in Code Section 40-2-34. The
department may continue to issue such special license plates that it has in its
inventory to assist in achieving the minimum number of registrations. If the
special license plate falls below 500 active registrations at any time during
the five-year period as provided in subsection (b) of Code Section 40-2-31,
manufacture of the license plates shall not be continued until the commissioner
receives 1,000 applications.
(h)
License plates supporting education on
Georgiás
maritime history shall be transferred from one vehicle to another vehicle in
accordance with the provisions of Code Section 40-2-42.
(i)
License plates supporting education on
Georgiás
maritime history shall be issued within 30 days of
application."
SECTION
2.
(a)
This Act shall become effective on January 1, 2007, except as otherwise provided
in subsection (b) of this section.
(b) If an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia authorizing the donation of revenue from sales of special license plates to organizations specified by the General Assembly is not ratified at the general election in 2006, this Act shall be repealed in its entirety on January 1, 2007, and no such motor vehicle license plates shall be issued pursuant to this Act.
(b) If an amendment to the Constitution of the State of Georgia authorizing the donation of revenue from sales of special license plates to organizations specified by the General Assembly is not ratified at the general election in 2006, this Act shall be repealed in its entirety on January 1, 2007, and no such motor vehicle license plates shall be issued pursuant to this Act.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.