(a)  The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available special motor vehicle registration plates for the Autism Project of Rhode Island. The plates shall be designed to reference The Autism Project of Rhode Island.

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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 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 Autism Project of Rhode Island motor vehicle plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle plates, and shall be designed by the Autism Project of Rhode Island in conjunction with the division of motor vehicles, with design approval by the Rhode Island state police.

(d)  The Autism Project of Rhode Island plates shall be subject to a minimum pre-paid order of at least nine hundred (900) sets of plates per plate type (i.e. passenger, commercial, etc.). The Autism Project of Rhode Island plates shall not be issued unless the minimum order(s) requirements are met. The initial order will be handled by the Autism Project of 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 paperwork 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 Autism Project of Rhode Island plates shall be subject to a forty dollars ($40.00) issuance surcharge.

(g)  The forty dollars ($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 Autism Project of Rhode Island in furtherance of their mission to develop a comprehensive system of care and resources that meet the needs of children and adults with autism and their families, including education, health, vocational, career, social and community needs in the state of Rhode Island.

(h)  The Autism Project of Rhode Island shall be required to submit an annual accounting report before such monies are distributed.

(i)  There shall be no refunds for early cancellation of the Autism Project of Rhode Island plates.