MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

1999 Regular Session

To: Finance

By: Senator(s) Hawks, Johnson (19th), Scoper, Dickerson, Harvey

AN ACT TO PROVIDE FOR THE ISSUANCE OF A DISTINCTIVE MOTOR VEHICLE LICENSE TAG BEARING THE EMBLEM DESIGNED BY THE MISSISSIPPI SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION; TO PROVIDE THAT A CERTAIN PORTION OF THE FEE COLLECTED FOR SUCH TAGS SHALL BE DEPOSITED INTO THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION EDUCATION FUND; TO CREATE THE NATURAL RESOURCES CONSERVATION EDUCATION FUND AND TO PROVIDE THAT MONEY IN SUCH FUND MAY BE USED BY THE MISSISSIPPI SOIL AND WATER CONSERVATION COMMISSION TO PRODUCE AND DISTRIBUTE MATERIALS FOR NATURAL RESOURCES EDUCATION; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) Owners of motor vehicles upon complying with the motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles, and 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 annual fee in the amount of Thirty Dollars ($30.00), shall be issued a special license tag which displays an emblem designed by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission.

(2) The Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission shall design emblems which shall be displayed on the special license tag. The emblem shall be affixed during the production of the license tag.

(3) Application for the special license tags shall be made to the county tax collector on forms prescribed by the State Tax Commission. The application and the additional fee, less five percent (5%) thereof to be retained by the tax collector, shall be remitted to the State Tax Commission within seven (7) days of the date the application is made. The portion of the additional fee retained by the tax collector shall be deposited into the county general fund.

(4) The special license tag shall be issued for a one-year period. The additional annual fee shall be due and payable at the time of renewal registration.

(5) The State Tax Commission shall deposit all fees into the State Treasury on the day received. At the end of each month, the State Tax Commission shall certify the total fees collected under this section to the State Treasurer who shall distribute such collections as follows:

(a) Twenty Dollars ($20.00) of each additional fee collected on special license tags issued pursuant to this section shall be deposited into the Natural Resources Conservation Education Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act.

(b) One Dollar ($1.00) of each additional fee collected on special license tags shall be deposited into the Mississippi Fire Fighter's Memorial Burn Center Fund created pursuant to Section 7-9-70.

(c) The remainder of each such additional fee shall be deposited to the credit of the State Highway Fund to be expended solely for the repair, maintenance, construction or reconstruction of highways.

SECTION 2. (1) There is created in the State Treasury a special fund designated as the Natural Resources Conservation Education Fund to be used by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission to develop, produce and distribute materials to educate individuals or groups regarding the natural resources of the State of Mississippi and the conservation of such resources.

(2) The Natural Resources Conservation Education Fund shall be funded by money required to be deposited in such fund pursuant to Section 1 of this act, such money as may be appropriated to such fund by the Legislature and such money as may be donated to such fund by gift or bequest.

(3) The State Treasurer shall make disbursements from the Natural Resources Conservation Education Fund for the purposes provided for in subsection (1) of this section upon requisition by the Mississippi Soil and Water Conservation Commission and upon the issuance of warrants by the Department of Finance and Administration.

SECTION 3. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 1999.