ANATOMICAL GIFT LICENSE PLATE

Senate Bill 534 (Substitute S-1)

Sponsor:  Sen. John J. Gleason

House Committee:  Transportation

Senate Committee:  Transportation

Complete to 1-24-12

A SUMMARY OF SENATE BILL 534 AS PASSED BY THE SENATE 12-15-11

The bill would amend the Michigan Vehicle Code to authorize the Secretary of State to issue a fund-raising license plate recognizing anatomical gift donations.  The design of the fund-raising plate would be determined by the Secretary of State.

Fund-raising donations collected would be transferred by the Secretary of State to the State Treasurer, who would be required to disburse the donated money to a special fund established in Section 811s of the Vehicle Code.  Senate Bill refers to this fund as the Donate Life Fund.  However, the fund would be called the Thomas Daley Gift of Life Fund in the House-passed version of House Bill 4978.  The bill would take effect June 30, 2012. 

The bill is tie-barred to House Bill 4978, which would create the Thomas Daley Gift of Life Fund and require it to be used for administration and maintenance of the state anatomical gift donor registry program.  This new fund, called the Donate Life Fund in an earlier version of the House Bill 4978, would be created as a successor to the Organ and Tissue Donation Education Fund, which was originally established in 2004 as a fund that could receive donations when people obtained or renewed a driver license.  Together, House Bill 4978 and Senate Bill 534 would instead use revenue from the sale of vehicle license plates. 

MCL 257.811t

FISCAL IMPACT:

The bill would require the payment (presumably by the sponsor of a new fund-raising plate) of a non-refundable $15,000 start-up fee to be deposited in the TACF for the cost of developing, producing, and issuing fund-raising plates.  Under the Vehicle Code, if the start-up fee is not paid within 18 months of the effective date of the public act authorizing the new fund-raising plates, the related fund-raising plate could not be created, produced, or issued.  The bill would have no fiscal impact on state or local government.

                                                                                           Legislative Analyst:   E. Best

                                                                                                  Fiscal Analyst:   Ben Gielczyk

■ This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan House staff for use by House members in their deliberations, and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.