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.