(a)  The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates honoring law enforcement officers that have been killed in the line of duty. The plate shall be designed to reference Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates.

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(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 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 special motor vehicle plate shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates and shall be designed in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles and with the final approval from the Rhode Island state police.

(d)  Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall be subject to a minimum pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) sets of plates. Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order requirements are met.

(e)  The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall develop application forms, pre-payment 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, Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund plates shall be subject to a forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g)  The forty dollar ($40.00) issuance surcharge shall be as follows: twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be deposited in the division of motor vehicles manufacturing account, and the remaining twenty dollars ($20.00) shall be allocated to the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund.

(h)  There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund.

(i)  A five dollar ($5.00) surcharge for subsequent registration renewals shall be allocated to the Rhode Island Law Enforcement Memorial Benefit Fund.