ARIZONA STATE SENATE
Fifty-Fifth Legislature, Second Regular Session
community impact special plates
Purpose
Establishes community impact special plates and the Community Impact 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. ADOT must issue or renew special license plates in lieu of regular license plates under specified conditions and procedures. The fee for obtaining or renewing a special license plate is $25, of which $8 is an administration fee that ADOT deposits in the State Highway Fund (SHF) and $17 is a donation to a specific organization (A.R.S. §§ 28-2351; 28-2402; and 28-2403).
There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this legislation.
Provisions
1. Requires ADOT to issue a community impact special plate if, by December 31, 2022, a person pays the $32,000 implementation fee to ADOT.
2. Requires the person who pays the $32,000 fee to design the community impact special plates, subject to approval by ADOT.
3. Allows the Director of ADOT (Director) to combine a community impact special plate request with a personalized special plate request.
4. Specifies that a combined request must be submitted on a Director-prescribed form and is subject to the fees for both the community impact special plate and personalized license plate.
5. Specifies that, of the $25 fee required to obtain and renew a community impact special plate, $8 is an administration fee and $17 is an annual donation.
6. Establishes the Fund which is to be administered by the Director.
7. Requires the first $32,000 in the Fund to be reimbursed to the person who paid the initial implementation fee.
8. Prohibits the Director from spending more than 10 percent of the monies deposited annually to administer the Fund.
9. Specifies that the monies in the Fund are continuously appropriated.
10. Requires the Director to annually allocate monies from the Fund, excluding administrative fees, to an entity which:
a) is a charitable organization that is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit;
b) is headquartered in Arizona;
c) is affiliated with a clothing brand that is inspired by Arizona and that is headquartered in Arizona;
d) has a mission to drive local innovation and inspire community action through the support and empowerment of entrepreneurs in Arizona;
e) is dedicated to the prosperity of its community members and Arizona through the support of local organizations;
f) provides grant opportunities to entrepreneurs in Arizona; and
g) provides mentorships and programming for entrepreneurs in Arizona.
11. Requires ADOT to deposit all community impact special plate administration fees in the SHF and all donations collected in the Fund.
12. Requires, on notice of the Director, the State Treasurer to credit monies earned to the Fund and invest and divest monies in the Fund.
13. Makes conforming changes.
14. Becomes effective on the general effective date.
House Action
TRANS 1/26/22 DP 12-0-0-0
3rd Read 2/3/22 43-16-1
Prepared by Senate Research
March 17, 2022
RA/JM/sr