1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to license plates; creating firefighter
1.3 	special motorcycle license plates; amending Minnesota
1.4 	Statutes 2004, section 168.12, subdivision 2b.
1.5 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.6 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 168.12,
1.7 	subdivision 2b, is amended to read:
1.8 		Subd. 2b.Firefighters; special plates.  (a) The
1.9 	registrar shall issue special license plates, or a single plate
1.10 	in the case of a motorcycle plate,to any applicant who is both
1.11 	a member of a fire department receiving state aid under chapter
1.12 	69 and an owner or joint owner of a passenger automobile, or a 
1.13 	truck with a manufacturer's nominal rated capacity of one ton
1.14 	and resembling a pickup truck, or a motorcycle,upon payment of
1.15 	a fee of $10 and upon payment of the registration tax required
1.16 	by law for the vehicle and compliance with other laws of this
1.17 	state relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles
1.18 	and drivers.  In lieu of the identification required under
1.19 	subdivision 1, the special license plates shall must be
1.20 	inscribed with a symbol of a Maltese Cross together with five
1.21 	numbers.  No applicant shall receive special plates for more
1.22 	than two sets of plates for vehicles owned or jointly owned by
1.23 	the applicant.
1.24 	(b) Special plates issued under this subdivision may only
1.25 	be used during the period that the owner or joint owner of the
2.1 	vehicle is a member of a fire department as specified in this
2.2 	subdivision.  When the person to whom the special plates were
2.3 	issued is no longer a member of a fire department or when the
2.4 	vehicle ownership is transferred, the special license plates
2.5 	shall must be removed from the vehicle and returned to the
2.6 	registrar.  Upon return of the special plates, or special
2.7 	motorcycle plate,the owner or purchaser of the vehicle is
2.8 	entitled to receive regular plates, or a regular motorcycle
2.9 	plate,for the vehicle, as applicable,without cost for the
2.10 	remainder of the registration period for which the special plate
2.11 	or plates were issued. Firefighter license plates issued
2.12 	pursuant to this subdivision may be transferred to another motor
2.13 	vehicle upon payment of $5, which fee shall be paid into the
2.14 	state treasury and credited to the highway user tax distribution
2.15 	fund.
2.16 	(c) A special motorcycle license plate issued under this
2.17 	subdivision must be the same size as a standard motorcycle
2.18 	license plate.
2.19 	(d) Upon payment of a fee of $5, plates issued under this
2.20 	subdivision for a passenger automobile or truck may be
2.21 	transferred to another passenger automobile or truck owned or
2.22 	jointly owned by the person to whom the plates were issued.  On
2.23 	payment of a fee of $5, a plate issued under this subdivision
2.24 	for a motorcycle may be transferred to another motorcycle owned
2.25 	or jointly owned by the person to whom the plate was issued.
2.26 	(c) (e) The commissioner of public safety may adopt rules
2.27 	under the Administrative Procedure Act, sections 14.001 to
2.28 	14.69, to govern the issuance and use of the special plates
2.29 	authorized in this subdivision.
2.30 	(f) All fees from the sale or transfer of special license
2.31 	plates for firefighters shall must be paid into the state
2.32 	treasury and credited to the highway user tax distribution fund.