Rhode Island General Laws Title 31. Motor and Other Vehicles § 31-3-129. Special plate for the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation. The plates shall be designed to reference the not-for-profit entity Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation.

(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(c) The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation plates shall be subject to compliance with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum prepaid orders of plates per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.) and any required payment. The Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paper work submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation to conduct collaborative fisheries research and education projects to advance the achievement of sustainable fisheries.

(h) A ten dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation.

(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation plates, the Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation must use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.

(j) Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation will be required to submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Commercial Fisheries Research Foundation plates.