GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 2017

H                                                                                                                                                    2

HOUSE BILL 223

Senate Transportation Committee Substitute Adopted 6/6/18

 

Short Title:      Special Plates/Handicapped Placard Renewal.

(Public)

Sponsors:

 

Referred to:

 

March 2, 2017

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT to authorize the division of motor vehicles to issue disabled veteran and partially disabled veteran special registration plates for motorcycles, to authorize the division to produce an "alpha phi alpha Fraternity" special registration plate, to reduce the number of applications required for collegiate insignia plates for public military colleges and universities, and to provide that renewal is not required for a handicapped placard that expires after the person to whom it is issued is eighty years of age.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

 

AUTHORIZE THE DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO ISSUE DISABLED VETERAN AND PARTIALLY DISABLED VETERAN SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES FOR MOTORCYCLES

SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 20‑79.4(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Types. – The Division shall issue the following types of special registration plates:

...

(64)      Disabled Veteran. – Issuable to a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who suffered a 100% service‑connected disability. A person may obtain from the Division a special registration plate under this subdivision for the registered owner of a motor vehicle or a motorcycle.

...

(183)    Partially Disabled Veteran. – Issuable to a veteran of the Armed Forces of the United States who suffered a service connected disability of less than 100%. A person may obtain from the Division a special registration plate under this subdivision for the registered owner of a motor vehicle or a motorcycle.

...."

SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 20‑79.7(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      Free of Charge. – Upon request, the and except for the special registration plate listed in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the Division shall annually provide and issue free of charge a single special registration plate listed in this subsection to a person qualified to receive the plate in accordance with G.S. 20‑79.4(a2). For the special registration plate listed in subdivision (2) of this subsection, and upon request, the Division shall annually provide and issue free of charge a single registration plate for both a motor vehicle and a motorcycle to a person qualified to receive each plate in accordance with G.S. 20‑79.4(a2). This subsection does not apply to a special registration plate issued for a vehicle that has a registered weight greater than 6,000 pounds. The regular motor vehicle registration fees in G.S. 20‑88 apply if the registered weight of the vehicle is greater than 6,000 pounds:

(1)        A Legion of Valor registration plate to a recipient of the Legion of Valor award.

(2)        A 100% Disabled Veteran registration plate to a 100% disabled veteran.

(3)        An Ex‑Prisoner of War registration plate to an ex‑prisoner of war.

(4)        A Bronze Star Valor registration plate to a recipient of the Bronze Star Medal for valor in combat award.

(5)        A Silver Star registration plate to a recipient of the Silver Star award."

 

AUTHORIZE THE DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO PRODUCE AN "ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY" SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATE

SECTION 2.(a)  G.S. 20‑63(b1)(47) is reenacted as it existed immediately before its repeal.

SECTION 2.(b)  G.S. 20‑79.4(b)(6) is reenacted as it existed immediately before its repeal.

SECTION 2.(c)  The Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity special registration plate listed as expired in G.S. 20‑79.7(a1) and (b) is reenacted as it existed immediately before its repeal.

SECTION 2.(d)  The additional fee amount for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity special registration plate listed under G.S. 20‑79.7(a1), as reenacted by this section, is modified to thirty dollars ($30.00). The Revisor of Statutes shall reorganize the table accordingly.

SECTION 2.(e)  The distribution of fees for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity special registration plate listed under G.S. 20‑79.7(b), as reenacted by this section, is modified to ten dollars ($10.00) for the Special Registration Plate Account (SRPA) and twenty dollars ($20.00) for the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account (CCAPA). The Revisor of Statutes shall reorganize the table accordingly.

SECTION 2.(f)  G.S. 20‑81.12(b39) is reenacted as it existed immediately before its repeal and reads as rewritten:

"(b39)  Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. – The Division must receive 300 or more applications for the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity plate before the plate may be developed. The Division shall transfer quarterly the money in the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account derived from the sale of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity plates to the Association of North Carolina Alphamen (ANCA) Educational Foundation Education Consortium of North Carolina, Inc., for scholarships for the benefit of African‑American males in ANCA attending accredited North Carolina colleges and universities."

SECTION 2.(g)  This section becomes effective February 1, 2019.

 

REDUCE THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS REQUIRED FOR COLLEGIATE INSIGNIA PLATES FOR PUBLIC MILITARY COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES

SECTION 3.  G.S. 20‑81.12(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      Collegiate Insignia Plates. – The Except for a collegiate insignia plate for a public military college or university, the Division must receive 300 or more applications for a collegiate insignia license plate for a college or university before a collegiate license plate may be developed. For a collegiate insignia license plate for a public military college or university, the Division must receive 100 or more applications before a collegiate license plate may be developed. The color, design, and material for the plate must be approved by both the Division and the alumni or alumnae association of the appropriate college or university. The Division must transfer quarterly the money in the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account derived from the sale of in‑State collegiate insignia plates to the Board of Governors of The University of North Carolina for in‑State, public colleges and universities and to the respective board of trustees for in‑State, private colleges and universities in proportion to the number of collegiate plates sold representing that institution for use for academic enhancement."

 

RENEWAL NOT REQUIRED FOR HANDICAPPED PLACARD AFTER AGE 80

SECTION 4.  G.S. 20‑37.6(c1) reads as rewritten:

"(c1)    Application and Renewal; Medical Certification. – The initial application for a distinguishing license plate, removable windshield placard, or temporary removable windshield placard shall be accompanied by a certification of a licensed physician, a licensed ophthalmologist, a licensed optometrist, a licensed physician assistant, a licensed nurse practitioner, or the Division of Services for the Blind that the applicant is handicapped or by a disability determination by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs that the applicant is handicapped. For an initial application for a temporary removable windshield placard only, the certification that the applicant is handicapped may be made by a licensed certified nurse midwife. The application for a temporary removable windshield placard shall contain additional certification to include the period of time the certifying authority determines the applicant will have the disability. Distinguishing license plates shall be renewed annually, but subsequent applications shall not require a medical certification that the applicant is handicapped. Removable windshield placards shall be renewed every five years, and, except for a person certified as totally and permanently disabled at the time of the initial application or a prior renewal under this subsection, the renewal shall require a medical recertification that the person is handicapped.handicapped; provided that renewal shall not be required for any placard that expires after the person to whom it is issued is 80 years of age and the placard shall remain valid. Temporary removable windshield placards shall expire no later than six months after issuance."

 

EFFECTIVE DATE

SECTION 5.  Except as otherwise provided, this act is effective when it becomes law.