Bill Text: MS HB524 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Distinctive motor vehicle license tag; authorize issuance to supporters of Mississippi Land Bank.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-10 - Referred To Ways and Means [HB524 Detail]
Download: Mississippi-2025-HB524-Introduced.html
MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2025 Regular Session
To: Ways and Means
By: Representative Lamar
House Bill 524
AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-56.549, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF DISTINCTIVE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE TAGS TO SUPPORTERS OF MISSISSIPPI LAND BANK; TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-44, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO INCLUDE THE DISTINCTIVE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE TAG AUTHORIZED TO BE ISSUED TO SUPPORTERS OF MISSISSIPPI LAND BANK WITHIN THE DISTINCTIVE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE TAGS THAT MAY BE ISSUED AFTER PROOF HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF REVENUE THAT 100 OF THE TAGS WILL BE PURCHASED; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:
SECTION 1. Section 27-19-56.549, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-19-56.549. (1) Any owner of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state, upon payment of the road and bridge privilege taxes, ad valorem taxes and registration fees as prescribed by law for private carriers of passengers, pickup trucks and other noncommercial motor vehicles, and upon payment of an additional fee in the amount provided in subsection (4) of this section, shall be issued a distinctive license tag for any motor vehicle registered in his name identifying such person as a supporter of any one (1) of the following:
(a) Mississippi Association of Nurse Practitioners;
(b) Navy Seabee Foundation;
(c) Saint Stanislaus College in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi;
(d) Vancleave Live Oak Choctaw;
(e) Morton High School;
(f) Forest Municipal School District;
(g) Lake High School;
(h) Scott Central Attendance Center;
(i) Sebastopol Attendance Center;
(j) East Rankin Academy;
(k) Houston High School;
(l) Magnolia Heights School;
(m) Regents School of Oxford;
(n) The Garden Clubs of Mississippi, Inc.;
(o) Baptist Health Foundation, Inc.;
(p) Greene County Wildcats;
(q) Mississippi Disc Golf;
(r) Mississippi Road Builders Association;
(s) Clinton Public School District;
(t) Magnolia Speech School;
(u) Coahoma County Jr./Sr. High School;
(v) Clinton Community Nature Center;
(w) Most Worshipful King Hiram Grand Lodge, A.F. & A.M., State of Mississippi;
(x) Electra Grand Chapter Order of the Eastern Star, A.F. & A.M., State of Mississippi;
(y) City of Olive Branch, Mississippi;
(z) Methodist Cursillo of Mississippi;
(aa) Clarkdale High School in Lauderdale County, Mississippi;
(ab) Columbia Academy Cougars;
(ac) Mississippi Hunting Dog Association;
(ad) O'Keefe Educational Media DBA Disability Connection;
(ae) New Orleans Pelicans;
(af) Mississippi Economic Council;
(ag) Lighthouse Academy for Dyslexia * * *;
(ah) Mississippi Land Bank.
(2) The distinctive license tags so issued shall be of such color and design as the department, with the advice of the respective beneficiary organization listed in subsection (1) of this section, may prescribe and shall consist of such letters or numbers, or both, as may be necessary to distinguish each license tag.
(3) Application for the distinctive license tags authorized by this section shall be made to the county tax collector on forms prescribed by the department. The application and the additional fee imposed under subsection (4) of this section, less Two Dollars ($2.00) thereof to be retained by the tax collector, shall be remitted to the department on a monthly basis as prescribed by the department. The portion of the additional fee retained by the tax collector shall be deposited into the county general fund.
(4) Any person applying for a distinctive license tag under this section shall pay an additional fee in the amount of Thirty Dollars ($30.00) for each distinctive license tag applied for under this section, which shall be in addition to all other taxes and fees. The additional fee paid shall be for a period of time to run concurrently with the vehicle's established license tag year. The additional fee is due and payable at the time the original application is made for a distinctive license tag under this section and thereafter annually at the time of renewal registration as long as the owner retains the distinctive license tag. If the owner does not wish to retain the distinctive license tag, he must surrender it to the local county tax collector.
(5) The department shall deposit all fees into the State Treasury on the day collected. At the end of each month, the department shall certify to the State Treasurer the total fees collected under this section from the issuance of the distinctive license tags issued under this section. The State Treasurer shall distribute such collections as follows:
(a) Twenty-four Dollars ($24.00) of each additional fee collected on distinctive license tags issued pursuant to this section shall be distributed to the appropriate beneficiary organization listed in subsection (1) of this section.
(b) One Dollar ($1.00) of each additional fee collected on distinctive license tags issued pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Mississippi Burn Care Fund created pursuant to Section 7-9-70.
(c) Two Dollars ($2.00) of each additional fee collected on distinctive license tags issued pursuant to this section shall be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund to be expended solely for the repair, maintenance, construction or reconstruction of highways.
(d) One Dollar ($1.00) of each additional fee collected on distinctive license tags issued pursuant to this section shall be deposited to the credit of the special fund created in Section 27-19-44.2.
(6) A regular license tag must be properly displayed as required by law until replaced by a distinctive license tag under this section. The regular license tag must be surrendered to the tax collector upon issuance of the distinctive license tag under this section. The tax collector shall issue up to two (2) license decals for each distinctive license tag issued under this section, which will expire the same month and year as the regular license tag.
(7) In the case of loss or theft of a distinctive license tag issued under this section, the owner may make application and affidavit for a replacement distinctive license tag as provided by Section 27-19-37. The fee for a replacement distinctive license tag shall be Ten Dollars ($10.00). The tax collector receiving such application and affidavit shall be entitled to retain and deposit into the county general fund five percent (5%) of the fee for such replacement license tag and the remainder shall be distributed in the same manner as funds from the sale of regular distinctive license tags issued under this section.
SECTION 2. Section 27-19-44, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:
27-19-44. (1) For any distinctive license tag or plate authorized by the Legislature from and after July 1, 2000, through June 30, 2002, or authorized by Sections 27-19-56.37 and 27-19-56.55, the requirements of this subsection must be met before the department may prepare or issue any such license tag or plate. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must submit proof satisfactory to the department that at least one hundred (100) of such license tags or plates will be purchased and must deposit with the department an amount necessary to purchase one hundred (100) of such license tags or plates. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must satisfy the requirements of this subsection (1) within two (2) years after the effective date of the law authorizing the license tag or plate in order to permit the license tag or plate to be prepared and issued.
(2) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (1) of this section, for any distinctive license tag or plate authorized by the Legislature from and after July 1, 2002, through June 30, 2007, the requirements of this subsection must be met before the department may prepare or issue any such license tag or plate. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must submit proof satisfactory to the department that at least two hundred (200) of such license tags or plates will be purchased and must deposit with the department an amount necessary to purchase two hundred (200) of such license tags or plates. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must satisfy the requirements of this subsection (2) within three (3) years after the effective date of the law authorizing the license tag or plate in order to permit the license tag or plate to be prepared and issued.
(3) Except as otherwise provided in this section, Section 27-19-56.7, Section 27-19-56.56, Section 27-19-56.59, Section 27-19-56.85 or Section 27-19-56.94, for any distinctive license tag or plate authorized or reauthorized by the Legislature from and after July 1, 2007, the following requirements must be met before the department may prepare or issue any such license tag or plate:
(a) The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must submit proof satisfactory to the department that at least three hundred (300) of such license tags or plates will be purchased and must deposit with the department an amount necessary to purchase three hundred (300) of such license tags or plates.
(b) The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must satisfy the requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection (3) within three (3) years after the effective date of the law authorizing the license tag or plate in order to permit the license tag or plate to be prepared and issued. This paragraph (b) shall not apply to distinctive tags or plates issued under Section 27-19-56.154.
(4) Any distinctive license tag authorized under Sections 27-19-56.186, 27-19-56.203 and 27-19-56.315 must meet the requirements of this subsection before the department may prepare or issue any such license tag or plate. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must submit proof satisfactory to the department that at least one hundred (100) of such license tags or plates will be purchased and must deposit with the department an amount necessary to purchase one hundred (100) of such license tags or plates. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must satisfy the requirements of this subsection (4) within three (3) years after the effective date of the law authorizing the license tag or plate in order to permit the license tag or plate to be prepared and issued.
(5) The distinctive license tags authorized under Section 27-19-56.108 must meet the requirements of this subsection before the department may prepare or issue any such license tag or plate. The organization or other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag or plate must submit proof satisfactory to the department that at least two hundred (200) of such license tags or plates will be purchased and must deposit with the department an amount necessary to purchase two hundred (200) of such license tags or plates.
(7) If the organization or
other entity for which the Legislature authorized the distinctive license tag
or plate meets the requirements of subsection (1), (2), (3), (4) * * *, (5) or (6) of this section,
the department shall prepare and issue the distinctive license tag or plate.
(8) The department shall review the number of distinctive or special license tags or plates issued pursuant to this chapter during the period for the license tag or plate series. If the number of any distinctive or special license tag or plate issued pursuant to this chapter falls below one hundred (100) in the last year of the license tag or plate series, the distinctive or special license tag or plate shall be discontinued at the end of the period for the license tag or plate series.
(9) If a distinctive or special license tag or plate is discontinued under subsection (7) of this section, the organization or other entity for which the license tag or plate was discontinued may prepare a distinctive or special license tag or plate decal. The distinctive or special license tag or plate decal shall be of such size, color and design as may be agreed upon by the organization or other entity and the department. However, the department shall have final approval of the size, color and design of the decal. The distinctive or special license tag or plate decals shall be prepared and sold by the organization or other entity, and the proceeds derived from the sale of such decals shall be retained by the organization or other entity for any use deemed appropriate by the organization or other entity.
(10) The provisions of this section shall not apply to distinctive or special license tags or plates:
(a) Which are issued under Section 27-19-45, 27-19-46, 27-19-47.1, 27-19-47.2, 27-19-48, 27-19-49, 27-19-53, 27-19-55, 27-19-56, 27-19-56.1, 27-19-56.2, 27-19-56.3, 27-19-56.5, 27-19-56.6, 27-19-56.9, 27-19-56.11, 27-19-56.12, 27-19-56.13, 27-19-56.40, 27-19-56.62, 27-19-56.69, 27-19-56.79, 27-19-56.90, 27-19-56.125, 27-19-56.127, 27-19-56.137, 27-19-56.140, 27-19-56.162, 27-19-56.187, 27-19-56.199, 27-19-56.205, 27-19-56.239, 27-19-56.292, 27-19-56.318, 27-19-56.379, 27-19-56.425, 27-19-56.466, 27-19-56.489, 27-19-56.522(1)(a), 27-19-56.524 or 27-19-56.557; or
(b) For which no additional fee is required to be paid.
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2025.
