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Motor and Other Vehicles - Registration of Vehicles

This bill creates a special license plate to raise money and awareness for colon cancer in Rhode Island.

Introduced67 Yea0 Nay8 Not voting
Population
Affected
15
Email Legislator
Introduced Jan 28, 2026Committee House Special Legislation

Plain-English Summary

This bill authorizes the Rhode Island Division of Motor Vehicles to create a special license plate for the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island. The plate honors Maryellen Goodwin and is designed to raise awareness for colon cancer. To obtain the plate, drivers must pay a $40 surcharge in addition to regular registration fees, with $20 going to the state's general fund and $20 to the Partnership. There is also a $10 fee for registration renewals that goes entirely to the Partnership. The organization must use the funds for local colon cancer awareness and submit an annual financial report.

For younger readers

This bill allows the state to make a new, special license plate for cars. The design will honor a person named Maryellen Goodwin and help teach people about a sickness called colon cancer. If a driver wants this special plate, they have to pay a little extra money. Half of that extra money goes to the state, and the other half goes to a charity that helps fight cancer. When drivers renew their plates later on, they pay a smaller extra fee that goes straight to the charity so it can keep helping people.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups
Vehicle ownersPartnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode IslandDivision of Motor VehiclesCancer patients and advocatesRhode Island-based charitable organizations
Impacted communities
All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

None Likely. The bill simply authorizes a specialty license plate and establishes a voluntary fee structure to fund a non-profit organization. It does not mandate speech, infringe on due process, or authorize unreasonable searches.

Estimated cost
None
Estimated revenue
Amount unknown

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints
For Progressives
  • Provides a reliable funding stream for a non-profit organization dedicated to public health, specifically raising awareness for colon cancer within the local community.
  • Includes accountability measures by requiring the non-profit to submit an annual accounting report, ensuring transparency in how the charitable funds are utilized.
  • Mandates that the funds raised must be used for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations, keeping resources within the local community to help residents.
  • Relies on a user-funded surcharge to support public health awareness rather than providing direct, systemic state funding for cancer prevention and education.
  • The flat $40 surcharge and $10 renewal fee are regressive, meaning lower-income individuals who wish to support the cause pay a larger percentage of their income than wealthier individuals.
  • Diverts half of the initial surcharge ($20) into the state's general fund rather than dedicating the entire amount directly to the cancer charity.
For Conservatives
  • Relies on voluntary contributions from citizens who choose to purchase the plate, avoiding mandatory tax increases to fund the cancer awareness initiative.
  • Generates additional revenue for the state's general fund by capturing $20 from every initial special plate issuance surcharge.
  • Empowers a private, non-profit organization to handle the awareness campaign rather than expanding the size and scope of a government health agency.
  • Utilizes state government resources and the Division of Motor Vehicles to facilitate fundraising for a specific, private non-profit organization.
  • Adds unnecessary complexity and regulatory clutter to the state's motor vehicle code by creating yet another special license plate category.
  • Imposes a mandate on how the private non-profit must spend the funds (restricting them to Rhode Island-based charities), which limits the organization's freedom to allocate resources as it sees fit.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

3 versions
Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 42 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 31-3 of the General Laws entitled "Registration of Vehicles" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 31-3-132. Special plate for Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island.

(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the not-for-profit entity Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island, a qualified 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization. The plates shall be designed to reference the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island and Maryellen Goodwin to specifically increase awareness of colon cancer. The plate shall be referred to as the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin motor vehicle plate.

(b) The special plate shall be displayed upon the same registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it was issued and shall be used in place of and in the same manner as the registration plates issued to the vehicle. The original registration plates for the vehicle shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the division of motor vehicles. The registration certificate for the plates shall be carried in the vehicle in accordance with § 31-3-9. The registration certificate shall be in effect for the special plate.

(c) The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed by the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with the design approved by the Rhode Island state police.

(d) The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin plates shall be subject to compliance with § 31-3-117 relating to the number of minimum prepaid orders of plates per plate type (i.e., passenger, commercial, etc.) and any required payment. The Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island and shall not be submitted to the division of motor vehicles for production until the minimum order(s) have been met and the proper paper work submitted to the division.

(e) The administrator of motor vehicles shall develop prepayment procedures and any other procedures deemed necessary to carry out the purposes of this section.

(f) In addition to the regular prescribed motor vehicle registration fee, the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island plates shall be subject to a forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g) The forty-dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be allocated as follows: twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the general fund and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be distributed annually to the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island to assist in the fiscal needs and in furtherance of its mission to raise colon cancer awareness.

(h) A ten-dollar ($10.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island.

(i) In consideration of the receipt of funds from the registration of Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin motor vehicle license plates, Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island shall use any Rhode Island-sourced funds in and for the benefit of Rhode Island-based charitable organizations to raise colon cancer awareness.

(j) Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island will be required to submit an annual accounting report to the administrator of the division before such monies are distributed.

(k) There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island -- Maryellen Goodwin plates.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.