GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1999

SESSION LAW 1999-403

SENATE BILL 285

AN ACT TO AUTHORIZE THE DIVISION OF MOTOR VEHICLES TO ISSUE UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEMS OF EASTERN CAROLINA SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES AND TO MODIFY THE SPECIAL REGISTRATION PLATES ISSUED TO MEMBERS OF THE JUDICIARY.

The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:

Section 1.  G.S. 20-79.4(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Types. - The Division shall issue the following types of special registration plates:

…

(48a) University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. - Issuable to the registered owner of a motor vehicle in accordance with G.S. 20-81.12.  The plate may bear a phrase or insignia representing the University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina."

. . .

Section 2.  G.S. 20-79.7(a) reads as rewritten:

"(a)      Fees. - Upon request, the Division shall provide and issue free of charge one registration plate to a recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, a 100% disabled veteran, and an ex-prisoner of war. All other special registration plates are subject to the regular motor vehicle registration fee in G.S. 20-87 or G.S. 20-88 plus an additional fee in the following amount:

Special Plate Additional Fee Amount

Historical Attraction                                                                 $30.00

State Attraction                                                                         $30.00

Collegiate Insignia                                                                    $25.00

Olympic Games                                                                         $25.00

Special Olympics                                                                      $25.00

University Health Systems of

Eastern Carolina $25.00

March of Dimes                                                                        $20.00

Scenic Rivers                                                                             $20.00

School Technology                                                                   $20.00

Soil and Water Conservation                                                   $20.00

Wildlife Resources                                                                   $20.00

Personalized                                                                              $20.00

Active Member of the National Guard                                      None

Purple Heart Recipient                                                               None

All Other Special Plates                                                           $10.00."

Section 3.  G.S. 20-79.7(b) reads as rewritten:

"(b)      Distribution of Fees. - The Special Registration Plate Account and the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account are established within the Highway Fund.  The Division must credit the additional fee imposed for the special registration plates listed in subsection (a) among the Special Registration Plate Account (SRPA), the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account (CCAPA), and the Natural Heritage Trust Fund (NHTF), which is established under G.S. 113-77.7, as follows:

Special Plate SRPA CCAPA NHTF

Historical Attraction                                                $10                     $20                 0

In-State Collegiate Insignia                                      $10                     $15                 0

Out-of-state Collegiate Insignia                              $10                        0                $15

Personalized                                                              $10                        0                $10

Special Olympics                                                      $10                     $15                 0

Olympic Games                                                        $10                     $15                 0

State Attraction                                                         $10                     $20                 0

March of Dimes                                                        $10                     $10                 0

Scenic Rivers                                                            $10                     $10                 0

School Technology                                                   $10                     $10                 0

Soil and Water Conservation                                   $10                     $10                 0

University Health Systems of

Eastern Carolina $10 $15 0

Wildlife Resources                                                  $10                     $10                 0

All other Special Plates                                            $10                        0                   0."

Section 4.  G.S. 20-81.12 is amended by adding a new subsection to read:

"(b10) University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina. - The Division must receive 300 or more applications for a University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina plate before the plate may be developed.  The Division shall transfer quarterly the money in the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account derived from the sale of University Health Systems of Eastern Carolina plates to the Pitt Memorial Hospital Foundation, Inc., for use in the Children's Hospital of Eastern North Carolina."

Section 5.  G.S. 20-79.6 reads as rewritten:

"§ 20-79.6.  Special registration plates for members of the judiciary.

(a)       Appellate Division.Supreme Court. - A special plate issued to a Justice or Judge of the North Carolina Appellate Courts shall bear the letter "J" followed by a number from 1 through 19. of the North Carolina Supreme Court shall bear the words 'Supreme Court' and the Great Seal of North Carolina and a number from 1 through 7.   The Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina shall be issued the plate bearing the number 1 and the remaining plates shall be issued to the Associate Justices on the basis of seniority.

Special plates issued to retired members of the Supreme Court shall bear a number indicating the member's position of seniority at the time of retirement followed by the letter 'X' to indicate the member's retired status.

(a1) Court of Appeals. - A special plate issued to a Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals shall bear the words 'Court of Appeals' and the Great Seal of North Carolina and a number beginning with the number 1.  The Chief Judge of the North Carolina Court of Appeals shall be issued the next judicial plate a plate with the number 1 and the remaining plates shall be issued to the Associate Judges with the numbers assigned on the basis of seniority.

Special plates issued to retired members of the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeals shall bear a number indicating the member's position of seniority at the time of retirement followed by the letter 'X' to indicate the member's retired status.

(b)       Superior Court. - A special plate issued to a resident superior court judge shall bear the letter 'J' followed by a number indicative of the judicial district the judge serves.  The number issued to the senior resident superior court judge shall be equal to the sum of the numerical designation of the judge's judicial district, as defined in G.S. 7A-41.1(a)(1), plus 20. G.S. 7A-41.1(a)(1).  If a district has more than one regular resident superior court judge, a special plate for a resident superior court judge of that district shall bear the number issued to the senior resident superior court judge followed by a hyphen and a letter of the alphabet beginning with the letter 'A' to indicate the judge's seniority.

For a set of districts as defined in G.S. 7A-41.1(a)(2), other than 7A and 7C, districts where there are two or more resident superior court judges, the number issued to the senior resident superior court judge shall be equal to the sum of 20 plus the number the districts in the set have in common.  A special plate issued to the other regular resident superior court judges of the set of districts shall bear the number issued to the senior resident superior court judge followed by a hyphen and a letter of the alphabet beginning with the letter 'A' to indicate the judge's seniority among all of the regular resident superior court judges of the set of districts.  The letter assigned to a resident superior court judge will not necessarily correspond with the letter designation of the district the judge serves.  For the set of districts 7B and 7C, the senior resident superior court judge for that set shall be issued a special plate bearing the designation 27C following the letter "J", and all other resident superior court judges of the set shall be issued a special plate bearing that designation followed by the letter "B".

Where there are two or more regular resident superior court judges for the district or set of districts, the registration plate with the letter 'A' shall be issued to the judge who, from among all the regular resident superior court judges of the district or set of districts, has the most continuous service as a regular resident superior court judge; provided if two or more judges are of equal service, the oldest of those judges shall receive the next letter registration plate.  Thereafter, registration plates shall be issued based on seniority within the district or set of districts.

A special judge, emergency judge, or retired judge of the superior court shall be issued a special plate bearing the letter 'J' followed by a number designated by the Administrative Office of the Courts with the approval of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of North Carolina.  The plate for a retired judge shall have the letter 'X' after the designated number to indicate the judge's retired status.

(c)       District Court. - A special plate issued to a North Carolina district court judge shall bear the letter 'J' followed by a number.  For the chief judge of the district court district, the number shall be equal to the sum of the numerical designation of the district court district the chief judge serves, plus 100.  The number for all other judges of the district courts serving within the same district court district shall be the same number as appears on the special plate issued to the chief district judge followed by a letter of the alphabet beginning with the letter 'A' to indicate the judge's seniority.  A retired district court judge shall be issued a similar plate except that the numerical designation shall be followed by the letter 'X' to indicate the judge's retired status.

(d)       United States. - A special plate issued to a Justice of the United States Supreme Court, a Judge of the United States Circuit Court of Appeals, or a District Judge of the United States District Court residing in North Carolina shall bear the words 'U.S. J' followed by a number beginning with '1'.  The number shall reflect the judge's seniority based on continuous service as a United States Judge as designated by the Secretary of State.  A judge who has retired or taken senior status shall be issued a similar plate except that the number shall be based on the date of the judge's retirement or assumption of senior status and shall follow the numerical designation of active justices and judges."

Section 6.  This act is effective when it becomes law.

In the General Assembly read three times and ratified this the 20th day of July, 1999.

s/   Dennis A. Wicker

President of the Senate

s/   James B. Black

Speaker of the House of Representatives

s/   James B. Hunt, Jr.

Governor

Approved 9:39 p.m. this 5th day of August, 1999