AN ACT RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES (Empowers the division of motor vehicles to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity, Dominican independence and heritage award committee of RI.)

H8333A

2026 -- H 8333 SUBSTITUTE A
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LC005031/SUB A
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2026
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

Introduced By:
Representatives Diaz, Felix, Batista, Perez, Giraldo, Slater, Solomon,
Alzate, Stewart, and O'Brien

Date Introduced:
March 20, 2026

Referred To:
House Special Legislation
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
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SECTION 1. Chapter 31-3 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is
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hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
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31-3-132. Special plate for the Dominican Independence and Heritage Award
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Committee of RI.

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(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available
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special motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity, the Dominican Independence
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and Heritage Award Committee of RI. The plates shall be designed to reference the Dominican
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Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI.
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(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the
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vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the
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registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be
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removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate
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for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate
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shall be in effect for the special plate.
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(c) The Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI motor vehicle
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plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by the Dominican
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Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI in conjunction with the division of motor
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vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.
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(d) The Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI plates shall be

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subject to compliance with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum prepaid orders of plates
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per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.) and any required payment. The Dominican
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Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI plates shall not be issued unless the minimum
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order requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Dominican Independence and
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Heritage Award Committee of RI and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for
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production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paperwork submitted to the
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division.
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(e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures and any other
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procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.
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(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, the Dominican
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Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI plates shall be subject to a forty-dollar
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($40.00) issuance surcharge.
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(g) The forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty
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dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00)
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shall be distributed annually to the Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI
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to provide funding for the Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI.
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(h) A ten-dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated
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to the Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI.
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(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of the Dominican
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Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI plates, the Dominican Independence and
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Heritage Award Committee of RI must use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit
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of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations.
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(j) The Dominican Independence and Heritage Award Committee of RI will be required to
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submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.
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(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of the Dominican Independence and
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Heritage Award Committee of RI plates.
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SECTION 2. This act shall take effect six (6) months after passage.
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
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This act would empower the division of motor vehicles to make available special motor
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vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity, the Dominican Independence and Heritage
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Award Committee of RI.
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This act would take effect six (6) months after passage.
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