1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; establishing procedures 
  1.3             for authorization and issuance of special license 
  1.4             plates; authorizing special "Rotary member" license 
  1.5             plates; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 
  1.6             Statutes, chapter 168. 
  1.7   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.8      Section 1.  [168.1293] [SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES; 
  1.9   AUTHORIZATION; DISCONTINUANCE.] 
  1.10     Subdivision 1.  [DEFINITION.] For purposes of this section 
  1.11  and section 168.1297, "special license plate" means a license 
  1.12  plate that is authorized by law to have wording and graphics 
  1.13  that differ from a standard Minnesota passenger vehicle license 
  1.14  plate. 
  1.15     Subd. 2.  [SUBMISSIONS TO DEPARTMENT.] (a) An entity that 
  1.16  plans to seek legislation that would establish a new special 
  1.17  license plate, other than a license plate authorized under 
  1.18  section 168.10, 168.105, 168.12, 168.123, 168.1235, 168.124, 
  1.19  168.125, 168.1255, 168.128, 168.129, or 168.1296, shall submit 
  1.20  the following information and fee to the commissioner of public 
  1.21  safety: 
  1.22     (1) The requester shall submit a request for the special 
  1.23  license plate being sought, describing the proposed license 
  1.24  plate in general terms, the purpose of the plate, and the 
  1.25  proposed fee or minimum contribution required for the plate. 
  1.26     (2) The requester shall submit the results of a scientific 
  2.1   sample survey of Minnesota motor vehicle owners that indicates 
  2.2   that at least 5,000 motor vehicle owners intend to purchase the 
  2.3   proposed plate with the proposed fee or minimum contribution.  
  2.4   The requesting entity's plan to undertake the survey must be 
  2.5   reported to the department before the survey is undertaken.  The 
  2.6   survey must be performed independently of the requesting entity 
  2.7   by a person, firm, or organization that conducts similar sample 
  2.8   surveys in the normal course of business. 
  2.9      (3) The requester shall submit an application fee in an 
  2.10  amount determined by the commissioner, not to exceed $7,500, to 
  2.11  cover the department's cost of reviewing the application and 
  2.12  developing the special license plate if authorized.  State funds 
  2.13  may not be used to pay the application fee. 
  2.14     (4) The requester shall submit a marketing strategy that 
  2.15  contains (i) short-term and long-term marketing plans for the 
  2.16  requested plate, and (ii) a financial analysis showing the 
  2.17  anticipated revenues and the planned expenditures of any fee or 
  2.18  contribution derived from the requested plate. 
  2.19     (b) The requester shall submit the information required 
  2.20  under paragraph (a) to the commissioner at least 120 days before 
  2.21  the convening of the next regular or special legislative session 
  2.22  at which the organization will submit its proposal. 
  2.23     Subd. 3.  [DESIGN.] If the special license plate sought by 
  2.24  the requesting entity is approved by law, the entity shall 
  2.25  submit the proposed design for the plate to the commissioner as 
  2.26  soon as practicable, but not later than 120 days after the 
  2.27  effective date of the law authorizing issuance of the plate. 
  2.28     Subd. 4.  [REFUND OF FEE.] If the special license plate 
  2.29  requested by the requesting entity is not authorized in the 
  2.30  legislative session at which authorization was sought, the 
  2.31  commissioner shall refund the application fee to the requesting 
  2.32  entity. 
  2.33     Subd. 5.  [DISCONTINUANCE OF PLATE.] (a) The commissioner 
  2.34  shall discontinue the issuance or renewal of any special license 
  2.35  plate if (1) less than 1,000 sets of those plates, including 
  2.36  annual renewals, have been issued by the end of the first five 
  3.1   full registration years during which the plates are available, 
  3.2   or (2) less than 1,000 sets of those plates, including annual 
  3.3   renewals, have been issued at the end of any subsequent two-year 
  3.4   period following the first five years of availability. 
  3.5      (b) The commissioner may discontinue the issuance or 
  3.6   renewal of any special license plate, and distribution of any 
  3.7   contributions resulting from that plate, if the commissioner 
  3.8   determines that (1) the fund or entity receiving the 
  3.9   contributions no longer exists, (2) the requesting entity has 
  3.10  stopped providing services that are authorized to be funded from 
  3.11  the contribution proceeds, or (3) the requesting entity has 
  3.12  requested discontinuance. 
  3.13     Sec. 2.  [168.1297] [SPECIAL "ROTARY MEMBER" LICENSE 
  3.14  PLATES.] 
  3.15     Subdivision 1.  [GENERAL REQUIREMENTS AND PROCEDURES.] The 
  3.16  registrar shall issue special "Rotary member" license plates to 
  3.17  an applicant who: 
  3.18     (1) is an owner or joint owner of a passenger automobile, 
  3.19  pickup truck, or van; 
  3.20     (2) pays a fee of $10 to cover the costs of handling and 
  3.21  manufacturing the plates; 
  3.22     (3) pays the registration tax required under section 
  3.23  168.013; 
  3.24     (4) pays the fees required under this chapter; 
  3.25     (5) submits proof to the registrar that the applicant is a 
  3.26  member of Rotary International; and 
  3.27     (6) complies with laws and rules governing registration and 
  3.28  licensing of vehicles and drivers. 
  3.29     Subd. 2.  [DESIGN.] A special license plate under this 
  3.30  section consists of a special license plate as described in 
  3.31  section 168.1291 with a unique symbol that is the recognized 
  3.32  emblem of Rotary International. 
  3.33     Subd. 3.  [PLATE TRANSFERS.] Notwithstanding section 
  3.34  168.12, subdivision 1, on payment of a transfer fee of $5, 
  3.35  plates issued under this section may be transferred to another 
  3.36  passenger automobile, pickup truck, or van owned or jointly 
  4.1   owned by the person to whom the special plates were issued.  The 
  4.2   fee must be deposited in the highway user tax distribution fund. 
  4.3      Subd. 4.  [COMPLIANCE WITH OTHER LAW.] The commissioner 
  4.4   shall take no action under this section unless the commissioner 
  4.5   determines that Rotary International, or one or more districts 
  4.6   of Rotary International, has complied with section 168.1293, 
  4.7   subdivision 2, paragraph (a).  Issuance and renewal of license 
  4.8   plates under this section are subject to section 168.1293, 
  4.9   subdivisions 3 to 5.