Read 1st time February 1, 2000, and 1000 copies ordered printed.
ANNE C. WALKER, Chief Clerk
AN ACT
To amend chapter 301, RSMo, relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles by adding thereto one new section relating to a respect life license plate.
Section A. Chapter 301, RSMo, is amended by adding thereto one new section, to be known as section 301.3030, to read as follows:
301.3030. 1. Any person may receive specialized license plates with words and an emblem which denotes respect for human life both before and after birth, pursuant to this section, for any motor vehicle such person owns either solely or jointly, other than an apportioned motor vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of eighteen thousand pounds gross weight after a contribution of at least twenty-five dollars to the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund as established in section 188.453, RSMo. Such license plates shall be called "Respect Life License Plates".
2. Respect life license plates shall bear the words "RESPECT LIFE" in place of the words "SHOW-ME STATE", shall bear an image of a single red rose placed on the plate in a conspicuous manner, and shall have a background with a color scheme chosen to complement and highlight the words "RESPECT LIFE" and the image of the red rose. Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130. A fee for the issuance of personalized license plates pursuant to section 301.144 shall not be required for plates issued pursuant to this section.
3. The contribution of at least twenty-five dollars to the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund shall be made to the director of revenue at the time of registration of the vehicle. The director shall transfer such contributions to the state treasurer for deposit in the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund as established in section 188.453, RSMo. Upon the receipt of such contribution, payment of the regular registration fees and presentation of other documents which may be required by law, the director of revenue shall issue the specialized license plates to the vehicle owner.
4. There shall be no limit on the number of sets of the specialized license plates a person may obtain pursuant to this section so long as such license plates are issued for vehicles owned solely or jointly by such person, and so long as a contribution of twenty-five dollars is made for each set of respect life license plates.
5. A vehicle owner who was previously issued the specialized license plates but who does not make a contribution of at least twenty-five dollars to the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund as established in section 188.453, RSMo, at a subsequent time of registration shall be issued new plates which are not respect life license plates, as otherwise provided by law.
6. The director of revenue shall issue samples of the specialized license plates to all offices in this state where vehicles are registered and license plates are issued. Such sample license plates shall be prominently displayed in such offices along with literature prepared by the director describing the license plates, the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund, and the purposes for which the fund was created.
7. The general assembly may appropriate moneys annually from the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund to the department of revenue to offset costs incurred for collecting and transferring contributions pursuant to this section.
8. There is hereby created in the state treasury the "Missouri Alternatives to Abortion Support Fund". The state treasurer shall credit to and deposit in such fund:
(1) Moneys that may be required by law to be credited to or deposited in such fund;
(2) Moneys that may be appropriated to it by the general assembly;
(3) Other amounts that may be received from general revenue, grants, gifts, bequests, settlements, awards or from federal, state or local sources; and
(4) Any other sources granted or given for this specific purpose.
9. The state treasurer shall invest moneys in the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund in the same manner as surplus state funds are invested pursuant to section 30.260, RSMo. All earnings which result from the investment of moneys in the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund shall be credited to such fund.
10. The provisions of section 33.080, RSMo, requiring all unexpended balances remaining in various state funds to be transferred and placed to the credit of the general revenue fund of this state at the end of each biennium, shall not apply to the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund.
11. Moneys credited to and deposited in the fund shall only be used by the commission for the purposes authorized pursuant to this section or as otherwise provided by law.
12. Until the amount in the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund exceeds one million dollars, not more than one-half of the money credited to and deposited in the fund from all sources, plus all earnings from the investment of moneys in the fund credited to the fund during the previous fiscal year, shall be available for disbursement. When the state treasurer certifies that the assets in the fund exceed one million dollars, all credited earnings plus all future credits to the fund from all sources shall be available for disbursement.
13. The purpose of the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund is to support those private agencies which are:
(1) Established and operating primarily to provide alternative to abortion services, and which do not perform or refer for abortions;
(2) Located in this state; and
(3) Exempt from income taxation pursuant to the United States Internal Revenue Code.
14. For purposes of this section, the term "alternative to abortion services" means services or counseling offered to a woman with a crisis pregnancy or unplanned pregnancy specifically to assist her in carrying her pregnancy to term instead of having an abortion, and to assist her in caring for her dependent child or placing her child for adoption.
15. Unless otherwise provided by law, the general assembly may appropriate moneys from the Missouri alternatives to abortion support fund to:
(1) The office of administration;
(2) The fifteen administrative departments; or
(3) Any board, bureau, commission or other agency of the state exercising administrative or executive authority.
Missouri House of
Representatives