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ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, First Regular Session
empowering charitable organizations special plates
Purpose
Establishes empowering charitable organizations special plates and the Empowering Charitable Organizations Special Plate Fund (Fund).
Background
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) Motor Vehicle Division provides one license plate to every motor vehicle owner for each vehicle registered (A.R.S. § 28-2351). ADOT is required to issue or renew special plates in lieu of regular license plates under specified conditions and procedures (A.R.S. § 28-2403). The fee for obtaining or renewing a special plate is $25 (A.R.S. § 28-2402). Of the $25 fee, $8 is an administration fee that ADOT deposits in the State Highway Fund (SHF) and $17 is a donation to a specific organization.
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires ADOT to issue empowering charitable organizations special plates if, by December 31, 2021, a $32,000 implementation fee is paid to ADOT.
2. Requires the person paying the $32,000 implementation fee to design empowering charitable organizations special plates, subject to approval by ADOT.
3. Allows the Director of ADOT (Director) to combine a request for an empowering charitable organizations special plate with a request for a personalized special plate.
4. Specifies that a combined request is required to be submitted on a form prescribed by the Director and is subject to the fees for both the empowering charitable organizations special plate and personalized special plate.
5. Specifies that, of the $25 fee required to obtain or renew an empowering charitable organizations special plate, $8 is an administration fee and $17 is an annual donation.
6. Requires ADOT to deposit all empowering charitable organizations special plate administration fees in the SHF and all remaining monies into the Fund.
7. Establishes the Fund which is to be administered by the Director.
8. Requires the first $32,000 in the Fund to be reimbursed to the person who paid the initial implementation fee.
9. Prohibits more than 10 percent of monies in the Fund from being used for administration costs.
10. Requires the Director to annually allocate monies from the Fund, excluding administrative fees, to a charitable organization that is qualified as a 501(c)(3) organization that meets outlined requirements.
11. Requires the State Treasurer to invest and divest monies in the Fund and monies earned from investment to be credited to the Fund.
12. Specifies that monies in the Fund are continuously appropriated.
13. Makes technical and conforming changes.
14. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
TRANS 2/17/21 DP 11-0-0-1
3rd Read 2/24/21 43-16-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 18, 2021
ZD/SS/kja