Senate Bill No. 257–Senators Wiener, O’Connell, Care, Carlton, Shaffer, Amodei, Jacobsen, Titus and Washington

 

February 27, 2001

____________

 

Referred to Committee on Transportation

 

SUMMARY—Revises provisions relating to special license plates indicating employment as current or former professional fire fighter. (BDR 43‑505)

 

FISCAL NOTE:            Effect on Local Government: No.

                                    Effect on the State: No.

 

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EXPLANATION – Matter in bolded italics is new; matter between brackets [omitted material] is material to be omitted.

 

AN ACT relating to motor vehicles; limiting the issuance of special license plates indicating current or former employment as a professional fire fighter; imposing a fee for the issuance and renewal of those license plates to be distributed among certain facilities for the treatment of burns which are located within the State of Nevada; and providing other matters properly relating thereto.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEVADA, REPRESENTED IN

SENATE AND ASSEMBLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

 

1-1    Section 1. NRS 482.3753 is hereby amended to read as follows:

1-2    482.3753  1.  Except as otherwise provided in this section, the

1-3  department, in cooperation with professional fire fighters in the State of

1-4  Nevada, shall design, prepare and issue license plates that recognize

1-5  current or former employment as a professional fire fighter using any

1-6  colors and designs which the department deems appropriate. The

1-7  department shall not design, prepare or issue the license plates unless it

1-8  receives at least 250 applications for the issuance of those plates.

1-9    2.  The department shall issue license plates that recognize current or

1-10  former employment as a professional fire fighter for a passenger car or a

1-11  light commercial vehicle upon application by a qualified person who is

1-12  entitled to license plates pursuant to NRS 482.265 and who otherwise

1-13  complies with the requirements for registration and licensing pursuant to

1-14  this chapter. A person may request that personalized prestige license plates

1-15  issued pursuant to NRS 482.3667 be combined with license plates that

1-16  recognize current or former employment as a professional fire fighter if

1-17  that person pays the fees for the personalized prestige license plates in

1-18  addition to the fees for the license plates that recognize current or former

1-19  employment as a professional fire fighter.

2-1    3.  An application for the issuance or renewal of license plates that

2-2  recognize current or former employment as a professional fire fighter is

2-3  void unless it is accompanied by documentation which, in the

2-4  determination of the department, provides reasonable proof of the identity

2-5  of the applicant and proof of his current employment as a professional fire

2-6  fighter or his status as a [retired] former professional fire fighter[. Such

2-7  documentation may include, but is not limited to:] who retired from

2-8  employment with a fire department within this state after completing at

2-9  least 10 years of creditable service as a fire fighter within this state. Proof

2-10  of an applicant’s current or former employment as a professional fire

2-11  fighter must consist of:

2-12    (a) An identification card [which indicates that the applicant is currently

2-13  employed as a professional fire fighter or is currently a member of a fire-

2-14  fighters’ union; or

2-15    (b) Evidence of his] issued by the Professional Fire Fighters of

2-16  Nevada or its successor;

2-17    (b) An identification card issued by the Nevada Fire Chiefs

2-18  Association or its successor; or

2-19    (c) A letter from the Professional Fire Fighters of Nevada or the

2-20  Nevada Fire Chiefs Association or their respective successors certifying

2-21  the applicant’s current or former employment as a professional fire

2-22  fighter.

2-23    4.  The fee payable to the department for license plates that recognize

2-24  current or former employment as a professional fire fighter is $35, in

2-25  addition to all other applicable registration and license fees and motor

2-26  vehicle privilege taxes. The license plates are renewable upon the payment

2-27  to the department of $10 in addition to all other applicable registration and

2-28  license fees and motor vehicle privilege taxes.

2-29    5.  In addition to all other applicable registration and license fees and

2-30  motor vehicle privilege taxes and the fees prescribed in subsection 3, a

2-31  person who requests a set of license plates that recognize current or

2-32  former employment as a professional fire fighter must pay for the initial

2-33  issuance of the plates an additional fee of $25 and for each renewal of

2-34  the plates an additional fee of $20 to support facilities for the treatment

2-35  of burns which are located within this state.

2-36    6.  The department shall deposit the fees collected pursuant to

2-37  subsection 5 with the state treasurer for credit to the state general fund.

2-38  The state treasurer shall, on a quarterly basis, distribute the fees

2-39  deposited pursuant to this subsection in equal shares to each facility for

2-40  the treatment of burns which is located within this state.

2-41    7.  If, during a registration year, the holder of license plates issued

2-42  pursuant to the provisions of this section disposes of the vehicle to which

2-43  the plates are affixed, [he may retain the plates and:

2-44    (a) Affix] the holder shall:

2-45    (a) Retain the plates and affix them to another vehicle that meets the

2-46  requirements of this section if the transfer and registration fees are paid as

2-47  set out in this chapter; or

2-48    (b) Within 30 days after removing the plates from the vehicle, return

2-49  them to the department.

3-1    [6.] 8.  As used in this section[, “retired professional] :

3-2    (a) “Facility for the treatment of burns” means a facility that:

3-3       (1) Offers specialized services for the treatment of injuries resulting

3-4  from burns; and

3-5       (2) Is part of or located within a hospital that has a center for the

3-6  treatment of trauma which is designated as a level I center by the

3-7  administrator of the health division of the department of human

3-8  resources.

3-9    (b) “Professional fire fighter” means a person [who retired from

3-10  employment with a fire department within this state after completing at

3-11  least 10 years of creditable service as a fire fighter within this state.]

3-12  employed in this state in a full-time salaried occupation of fire fighting

3-13  for the benefit or safety of the public. The term does not include a

3-14  member of a volunteer fire department or any other person who serves as

3-15  a volunteer with a fire-fighting agency.

3-16    Sec. 2.  For the period beginning July 1, 2001, through July 1, 2002,

3-17  the provisions of NRS 482.280 to the contrary notwithstanding, the

3-18  department of motor vehicles and public safety:

3-19    1.  Shall cooperate with a representative of the Professional Fire

3-20  Fighters of Nevada and of the Nevada Fire Chiefs Association in their

3-21  efforts to assist the department in:

3-22    (a) Identifying persons who:

3-23      (1) Possess license plates issued pursuant to NRS 482.3753; and

3-24      (2) Do not meet the eligibility requirements set forth in NRS

3-25  482.3753.

3-26    (b) Ensuring that ineligible persons do not possess license plates issued

3-27  pursuant to NRS 482.3753.

3-28    2.  Shall require each person who is applying to renew a license plate

3-29  issued pursuant to NRS 482.3753 to appear in person and present to an

3-30  agent or office of the department:

3-31    (a) The application for renewal;

3-32    (b) The applicable fees and taxes; and

3-33    (c) The required proof of eligibility.

3-34    3.  Shall, upon receipt of an application for renewal, suspend the

3-35  registration of a vehicle for which a license plate has been issued pursuant

3-36  to NRS 482.3753 to a person who does not meet the eligibility

3-37  requirements set forth in NRS 482.3753 until the license plates are

3-38  surrendered to the department.

3-39    4.  Shall not accept an application for the renewal of a license plate

3-40  issued pursuant to NRS 482.3753 that:

3-41    (a) Is delivered by mail during the period beginning July 1, 2001,

3-42  through July 1, 2002; or

3-43    (b) Is not accompanied by the required proof of eligibility.

3-44    Sec. 3.  This act becomes effective on July 1, 2001.

 

3-45  H