AN ACT RELATIVE TO THE THOMAS P. KENNEDY 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 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the word “the”, in line 6, the following words:- Thomas P. Kennedy.
SECTION 2. Said chapter 10 is hereby further amended by striking out section 59A and inserting in place thereof the following section:-
Section 59A. (a) There is hereby established on the books of the commonwealth a separate trust fund known as the Thomas P. Kennedy 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 or her license to operate after the license has been suspended as a result of receiving 3 speeding convictions pursuant to section 17 of chapter 90 within any 1-year period or as a result of receiving 3 surchargeable offenses within any 2-year period or as a result of receiving 7 surchargeable offenses within any 3-year period. The surcharge assessed against a person who seeks reinstatement of the person’s license to operate after the license has been suspended shall be $50 greater for each successive reinstatement under this section. The surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Thomas P. Kennedy Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund.
(b) The state treasurer shall be the custodian of the Thomas P. Kennedy Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund and shall receive, deposit and invest all monies transmitted to the state treasurer 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 so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the fourth, fifth and sixth sentences and inserting in place thereof the following 2 sentences:- In addition to any reinstatement fee, there shall be a surcharge of $50 assessed against a person who seeks to have the person’s license reinstated following a revocation or suspension under this paragraph. The surcharge shall be transferred by the registrar of motor vehicles to the state treasurer for deposit into the Thomas P. Kennedy Spinal Cord Injury Trust Fund established pursuant to section 59A of chapter 10.
Approved, November 6, 2015.