A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO DIRECT THE COMMISSIONER OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO CONDUCT A CONTEST FOR THE DESIGN OF A NEW STANDARD MOTOR VEHICLE rEGISTRATION PLATE.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall conduct a statewide contest for the design of a new registration plate to replace the "First in Flight" registration plate that has been in use in North Carolina since 1982.
SECTION 2.  The Commissioner shall chair a review board that shall review all submitted entries for the new registration plate.  The review board shall consist of the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, a staff member from the Division of Motor Vehicles familiar with the vehicle registration process and the issuance of special registration plates, the Secretary of Transportation or his designee, the Secretary of Commerce or his designee, and the Commander of the State Highway Patrol or his designee.
SECTION 3.  The Commissioner shall ensure that there is widespread advertising of the contest and the contest rules and shall ensure reasonable time for the preparation, submission, and judging of the entries.
SECTION 4.  The review board shall judge all of the submissions and determine the three best designs and mottos to appear on the registration plates. The design and motto shall reflect the beauty, diversity, and the integrity of the State. The review board shall submit the three best submissions to the Council of State.
SECTION 5.  The Council of State shall make the final decision on the best design and motto to appear on the standard registration plate and to appear as the background for some of the special registration plates.
SECTION 6.  The Division shall report to the Joint Legislative Transportation Oversight Committee on or before the first day of the 2008 Regular Session of the 2007 General Assembly about the results of the contest and shall submit any legislation required for the implementation of the Council of State's decision and the distribution of the registration plates bearing the new design and motto.
SECTION 7.  The Division of Motor Vehicles may use up to ten thousand dollars ($10,000) from the Special Registration Plate Account during the 2007‑2008 fiscal year for the contest mandated by this act.
SECTION 8.  This act is effective when it becomes law.