AN ACT ESTABLISHING A SPINAL CORD INJURY TRUST FUND.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
SECTION 1. Section 59 of chapter 10 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word "monies", in line 5, the following words:- , except for monies deposited in the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund under section 59A.
SECTION 2. Said chapter 10 is hereby amended by inserting after section 59 the following section:-
Section 59A. (a) There is hereby established on the books of the commonwealth a separate trust fund known as the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund. The trust fund shall consist of monies paid to the commonwealth on a surcharge of $50 assessed against any person who seeks reinstatement of his license to operate after the license has been suspended as a result of receiving 3 speeding convictions under section 17 of chapter 90 within any 1-year period or as a result of receiving 5 or more moving violations or surchargeable offenses within any 3-year period. The first $25 of each surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund. The remaining amount shall be transferred by the registrar to the state treasurer for deposit in the General Fund.
(b) The state treasurer shall be the custodian of the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund and shall receive, deposit, and invest all monies transmitted to him under this section and shall credit interest and earnings on the trust fund to the trust fund. The monies shall be expended for the purpose of medical cure research services for spinal cord injured persons in such manner as the commissioner of public health may direct.
(c) The commissioner of public health shall appoint an advisory board, consisting of 2 physicians and 1 member of the spinal cord community for the purpose of reviewing proposals for funding research in spinal cord injury and making related recommendations.
SECTION 3. The fifth paragraph of section 20 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following sentence:- In addition to any reinstatement fee, there shall be a surcharge of $50, assessed against a person who seeks to have his license reinstated following a revocation or suspension under this paragraph. The first $25 of each surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund. The remaining amount shall be transferred by the registrar to the state treasurer for deposit in the General Fund.