Section 94. Assessment to defray operating expenses of the department

1.
  For  the  fiscal  year  commencing  on  April  first,  nineteen  hundred
  eighty-three  and  for  each fiscal year thereafter, the expenses of the
  department for administering and  enforcing  motor  carrier  safety  and
  economic  regulation  pursuant to articles six, seven, eight and nine of
  this  chapter,  exclusive  of  those  expenses  related  to  the  safety
  inspection  of  vehicles,  shall  be assessed by the commissioner in the
  form of a fee for the registration of interstate operation  pursuant  to
  section  ninety-two of this article and an annual vehicle regulatory fee
  imposed upon all motor vehicles required to be registered under  section
  ninety-three of this article.
    2.  The annual vehicle registration fee referred to in subdivision one
  of this section shall be established  and  levied  by  the  commissioner
  subject to the approval of the director of the division of the budget in
  an  amount  that  is sufficient to raise funds to defray the expenses of
  the department in administering and enforcing motor carrier  safety  and
  economic  regulation  pursuant to articles six, seven, eight and nine of
  this  chapter  exclusive  of  those  expenses  related  to  the   safety
  inspection  of vehicles. Such expenses shall consist of the direct costs
  of personal service, the cost of maintenance and  operation,  retirement
  contributions,  workers'  compensation  premiums,  and health and dental
  premiums which are paid by the state for  or  on  account  of  personnel
  involved in motor carrier regulation and any other direct costs involved
  in  administering  and  enforcing  motor  carrier  regulations as deemed
  appropriate by the commissioner. The  commissioner  may  promulgate  any
  rules  and  regulations necessary to establish and administer the annual
  vehicle registration fee except that in case of interstate carriers  the
  annual  vehicle  registration fee shall not exceed the limit established
  by federal law or regulation for interstate carriers.
    3. With respect to the annual vehicle registration fee imposed by this
  section, the  commissioner  is  authorized  to  enter  into  reciprocity
  agreements  or  compacts  with  other state and provincial jurisdictions
  exempting  vehicles  domiciled  in  such  other  state   or   provincial
  jurisdiction from the annual vehicle registration fee to the extent that
  such   state  or  provincial  jurisdiction  agrees  to  exempt  vehicles
  domiciled in this state from similar fees.
    4. All fees charged and collected by the commissioner hereunder  shall
  be  deposited to the miscellaneous special revenue fund - transportation
  regulation account for the purposes established in this section.