05 LC 34
0175
House
Bill 402
By:
Representatives Tumlin of the
38th,
Dollar of the
45th,
Carter of the
159th,
Keown of the
173rd,
and Knight of the
126th
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 promoting
emergency medical services personnel; to provide for issuance, renewal, fees,
licensing agreements, applications, and transfers relative to such special
license plates; to provide for related matters; to provide an 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 40-2-86.10 to read as
follows:
"40-2-86.10.
(a)
The commissioner, in cooperation with licensed emergency services personnel in
Georgia, and in order to promote and honor these individuals, shall design a
special license plate to be issued displaying the National Highway Traffic
Safety
Administratiońs
EMS Star of Life Symbol and the initials EMS. 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.
(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 emergency medical services 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 in calendar year 2006, any Georgia resident who is the owner of a
motor vehicle, except a vehicle registered under the International Registration
Plan, and provides proof of certification or licensure by the State of Georgia
as an emergency medical technician, paramedic, or owner of a licensed ambulance
service in the State of Georgia, 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 an emergency medical services license plate. 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)
A qualified applicant may request an emergency medical services license plate
any time during the
applicant́s
registration period. If such a license plate is to replace a current valid
license plate, the emergency medical services license plate shall be issued with
appropriate decals attached.
(e)
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,
2006, 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.
(f)
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.
(g)
Emergency medical services license plates shall be transferred from one vehicle
to another vehicle in accordance with the provisions of Code Section
40-2-42.
(h)
Emergency medical services license plates shall be issued within 30 days of
application."
SECTION
2.
This
Act shall become effective on January 1, 2006.
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.