Bill Text: GA SB293 | 2011-2012 | Regular Session | Introduced

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Bill Title: License Plates; require the nation's motto, "In God We Trust" printed on license plates; county name decal (PF)

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 5-0)

Status: (Passed) 2012-07-01 - Effective Date [SB293 Detail]

Download: Georgia-2011-SB293-Introduced.html

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12 SB293/AP

Senate Bill 293

By: Senators Heath of the 31st, Rogers of the 21st, Tippins of the 37th, Hill of the 4th and Hill of the 32nd

AS PASSED

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT

To amend Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles, so as to require that the nation's motto, "In God We Trust," be available on a decal for use on license plates; to provide for related matters; to provide for an effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:

SECTION 1.

Chapter 2 of Title 40 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles, is amended by revising subsection (b) of Code Section 40-2-9, relating to the display of the "In God We Trust" decal, as follows:

"(b) The department shall make available to all license plates recipients a decal with the same dimensions as the county name decal that contains the words, 'In God We Trust.' The department shall provide such decal free of charge to any person requesting such decal no more than the cost to the department for the manufacture and distribution of such decal it. Such decal may be displayed in the space reserved for the county name decal in lieu of the county name decal."

SECTION 2.

Said chapter is further amended by revising subsections (e) and (f) of Code Section 40-2-31, relating to the design of license plates and revalidation and county decals, and by adding a new subsection to read as follows:

"(e) The commissioner shall furnish without cost to each tag agent reflective adhesive decals in sufficient number, upon which there shall be printed the name of the agent's county. Such a decal shall be issued with each metal license plate and shall be affixed in the space provided on the license plate without obscuring any number or other information required to be present on the plate. A tag agent shall offer, upon such issuance of a new permanent license plate, the option of obtaining a county decal or a decal providing for the nation's motto, 'In God We Trust.'

(f) A county tag agent shall issue a county name decal, upon request, for the agent's county only if:

(1) The applicant is a resident of or a business located in the county named on the decal;

(2) The applicant is registering a new vehicle in such county, is renewing a current vehicle registration, or is transferring registration of a vehicle to the county named on the decal; and

(3) The application for registration of the vehicle is being made in the county named on the decal.

(g) The commissioner shall furnish without cost to each tag agent reflective adhesive decals in sufficient number, upon which there shall be printed the nation's motto, 'In God We Trust.' A tag agent shall offer, upon such issuance of a new permanent license plate, the option of obtaining a county decal or a decal providing for the nation's motto, 'In God We Trust.' Such a decal shall be issued, upon request and free of charge, by a county tag agent with each new permanent license plate."

SECTION 3.

Said chapter is further amended by revising subsection (d) of Code Section 40-2-60.1, relating to the administrative procedure for issuing special license plates, as follows:

"(d) The agency, fund, or nonprofit corporation sponsoring a special license plate, in cooperation with the commissioner, shall design a special distinctive license plate appropriate to promote the program benefitted by the issuance of the special license plate. Special license plates for groups of individuals and vehicles shall be readily recognizable by the insertion of an appropriate logo or graphic identifying the special nature of the license plate. All special license plates must be of the same size as general issue motor vehicle license plates and shall include a unique design and identifying number, whereby the total number of characters does not exceed an amount to be determined by the commissioner. No two recipients shall receive identically numbered plates. Spaces for county name labels or other authorized labels, including the 'In God We Trust' label, are required for all special license plates authorized under this Code section unless expressly eliminated by the request of the agency, fund, or nonprofit corporation sponsoring a special license plate at the time the license plate is designed under this chapter."

SECTION 4.

This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2012, and shall apply to license plates issued on or after such date.

SECTION 5.

All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.