MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2001 Regular Session

To: Ways and Means

By: Representative Middleton

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 27-19-56.22, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO AUTHORIZE THE ISSUANCE OF DISTINCTIVE LICENSE TAGS FOR MEMBERS OF DELTA SIGMA THETA SORORITY AND OMEGA PSI PHI FRATERNITY; TO PROVIDE THAT A PORTION OF THE FEES COLLECTED FOR THOSE DISTINCTIVE LICENSE TAGS SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED AMONG THE COLEMAN, ALEXANDER, POSSNER FOUNDATION, THE MISSISSIPPI FIRE FIGHTER'S MEMORIAL BURN CENTER FUND AND THE STATE HIGHWAY FUND; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. Section 27-19-56.22, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

27-19-56.22. (1) Any owner of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state and who is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority, Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, Delta Sigma Theta sorority or Omega Psi Phi fraternity, 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 of Thirty Dollars ($30.00), shall be issued a distinctive license tag for each motor vehicle registered in his name identifying such person as a member or supporter of such organization. The distinctive license tags so issued shall display the Greek letter of the organization and shall be of such color and design as the State Tax Commission may prescribe, and shall consist of such letters or numbers, or both, as may be necessary to distinguish each license tag.

(2) Application for the distinctive license tags authorized by this section shall be made to the county tax collector on forms prescribed by the State Tax Commission. The application and the additional fee imposed under subsection (3) of this section, less Two Dollars ($2.00) 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.

(3) The distinctive 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.

(4) The State Tax Commission shall deposit all fees into the State Treasury on the day collected. 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-five Dollars ($25.00) of each additional fee collected on the distinctive license tags issued under this section shall be distributed to the Coleman, Alexander, Possner Foundation.

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

(c) Two Dollars ($2.00) of each additional fee collected on distinctive license tags issued under 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.

(5) 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) month and year license decals for each distinctive license tag issued under this section, which will expire the same month and year as the license tag.

(6) 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.