Bill Text: IA SF2016 | 2017-2018 | 87th General Assembly | Introduced
Bill Title: A bill for an act relating to special interest motor vehicle registration plates, and providing penalties.
Sponsorship: Partisan Bill (Republican 1)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2018-01-16 - Subcommittee: Brown, Bowman, and Zumbach. S.J. 108. [SF2016 Detail]
Download: Iowa-2017-SF2016-Introduced.html
Senate File 2016 - Introduced SENATE FILE BY ZAUN A BILL FOR 1 An Act relating to special interest motor vehicle registration 2 plates, and providing penalties. 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: TLSB 5163XS (3) 87 ns/rh PAG LIN 1 1 Section 1. Section 321.34, Code 2018, is amended by adding 1 2 the following new subsection: 1 3 NEW SUBSECTION. 11C. Special interest plates. 1 4 a. Upon application and payment of the proper fees, the 1 5 director may issue a special interest plate to the owner of a 1 6 motor vehicle subject to registration under section 321.109, 1 7 subsection 1, motor truck, motor home, or multipurpose vehicle, 1 8 if the vehicle is collected, preserved, restored, or maintained 1 9 by the owner as a leisure pursuit and the vehicle is not used 1 10 for general transportation of persons or property. 1 11 b. Special interest plates shall be designed by the 1 12 department. The plates shall contain the words "special 1 13 interest" and shall not include on the plate the name of the 1 14 county where the vehicle is registered. 1 15 c. The special fee for a letter=number designated special 1 16 interest plate is fifty dollars. The fee for a personalized 1 17 special interest plate is twenty=five dollars which shall be 1 18 paid in addition to the special fee of fifty dollars. The fees 1 19 collected by the director under this subsection shall be paid 1 20 monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use 1 21 tax fund. 1 22 d. Upon receipt of the special interest plate, the applicant 1 23 shall surrender the applicant's current registration plates 1 24 to the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall validate 1 25 the special interest plate in the same manner as regular 1 26 registration plates are validated under this section. The 1 27 annual special fee for a letter=number designated special 1 28 interest plate is fifty dollars, which shall be paid in 1 29 addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual 1 30 fee for a personalized special interest plate is five dollars, 1 31 which shall be paid in addition to the annual special fee and 1 32 the regular annual registration fee. The annual special fees 1 33 shall be credited as provided under paragraph "c". 1 34 Sec. 2. NEW SECTION. 321.36 Vehicles displaying special 1 35 interest plate. 2 1 A person shall not operate a motor vehicle displaying a 2 2 special interest plate issued pursuant to section 321.34, 2 3 subsection 11C, on the public streets or highways of this state 2 4 other than for public displays, parades, related pleasure or 2 5 hobby activities, or occasional transportation not related to 2 6 the person's business or occupation. 2 7 Sec. 3. Section 321.37, subsection 1, Code 2018, is amended 2 8 to read as follows: 2 9 1. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle other 2 10 than an autocycle, motorcycle, motorized bicycle, motor vehicle 2 11 issued a special interest plate pursuant to section 321.34, 2 12 subsection 11C, or truck tractor shall be attached to the 2 13 motor vehicle, one in the front and the other in the rear. 2 14 The registration plate issued for an autocycle, motorcycle, 2 15 motor vehicle issued a special interest plate pursuant to 2 16 section 321.34, subsection 11C, or other vehicle required to 2 17 be registered hereunder shall be attached to the rear of the 2 18 vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck tractor 2 19 shall be attached to the front of the truck tractor. The 2 20 special plate issued to a dealer shall be attached on the rear 2 21 of the vehicle when operated on the highways of this state. 2 22 Sec. 4. Section 321.166, subsections 2 and 9, Code 2018, are 2 23 amended to read as follows: 2 24 2. Every registration plate or pair of plates shall display 2 25 a registration plate number which shall consist of alphabetical 2 26 or numerical characters or a combination thereof and the name 2 27 of this state, which may be abbreviated. Every registration 2 28 plate issued by the county treasurer shall display the name 2 29 of the county, including any plate issued pursuant to section 2 30 321.34, except Pearl Harbor and purple heart registration 2 31 plates issued prior to January 1, 1997; special interest plates 2 32 issued pursuant to section 321.34, subsection 11C; registration 2 33 plates issued pursuant to section 321.34, subsection 13, 2 34 paragraph "d"; and collegiate, fire fighter, and medal of honor 2 35 registration plates. Special truck registration plates shall 3 1 display the word "special". The department may adopt rules to 3 2 implement this subsection. 3 3 9. Special registration plates issued pursuant to section 3 4 321.34, other than gold star, medal of honor, collegiate, fire 3 5 fighter, special interest, and natural resources registration 3 6 plates, shall be consistent with the design and color of 3 7 regular registration plates but shall provide a space on a 3 8 portion of the plate for the purpose of allowing the placement 3 9 of a distinguishing processed emblem or an organization 3 10 decal. Special registration plates shall also comply with 3 11 the requirements for regular registration plates as provided 3 12 in this section to the extent the requirements are consistent 3 13 with the section authorizing a particular special vehicle 3 14 registration plate. 3 15 EXPLANATION 3 16 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 3 17 the explanation's substance by the members of the general assembly. 3 18 This bill provides that the department of transportation 3 19 (DOT) may issue a special interest motor vehicle registration 3 20 plate to the owner of a motor vehicle subject to registration 3 21 under Code section 321.109(1), motor truck, motor home, or 3 22 multipurpose vehicle, if the vehicle is collected, preserved, 3 23 restored, or maintained by the owner as a leisure pursuit and 3 24 the vehicle is not used for general transportation of persons 3 25 or property. The bill requires special interest plates to be 3 26 designed by the DOT, to contain the words "special interest", 3 27 and to exclude from the plate the name of the county where the 3 28 vehicle is registered. 3 29 The special fee for a letter=number designated special 3 30 interest plate is $50. The fee for a personalized special 3 31 interest plate is $25 which must be paid in addition to the 3 32 special fee of $50. The annual special fee for a letter=number 3 33 designated special interest plate is $50, which must be paid in 3 34 addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual 3 35 fee for a personalized special interest plate is $5, which must 4 1 be paid in addition to the annual special fee and the regular 4 2 annual registration fee. The bill requires the special fees 4 3 collected by the DOT under the bill to be paid monthly to the 4 4 treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. 4 5 The bill provides that upon receipt of the special interest 4 6 plate, the applicant must surrender the applicant's current 4 7 registration plates to the county treasurer. The county 4 8 treasurer must validate the special interest plate in the same 4 9 manner as regular registration plates are validated. 4 10 The bill prohibits a person from operating a motor vehicle 4 11 displaying a special interest plate on the public streets 4 12 or highways of this state other than for public displays, 4 13 parades, related pleasure or hobby activities, or occasional 4 14 transportation not related to the person's business or 4 15 occupation. By operation of law, a violation of this provision 4 16 is a simple misdemeanor (Code section 321.482). A simple 4 17 misdemeanor is punishable by a fine of at least $65 but not to 4 18 exceed $625 and imprisonment not to exceed 30 days. 4 19 The bill requires the special interest plate issued for a 4 20 vehicle to be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. 4 21 The bill also provides that special interest plates need not 4 22 be consistent with the design and color of regular registration 4 23 plates. LSB 5163XS (3) 87 ns/rh
