HB0853eng 96TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB0853 Engrossed LRB096 03197 AJT 13214 b

AN ACT concerning transportation.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 3-806 and by adding Sections 3-684 and 3-806.7 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-684 new)

Sec. 3-684. Operation Iraqi Freedom License Plates.

(a) In addition to any other special license plate, the Secretary, upon receipt of all applicable fees and applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may issue Operation Iraqi Freedom license plates to residents of Illinois who meet eligibility requirements prescribed by the Secretary of State. The special Operation Iraqi Freedom plate issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division, motorcycles, and motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according to the staggered multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this Code.

(b) The design, color, and format of the plates shall be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity plates or personalized in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The plates are not required to designate "Land Of Lincoln", as prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary shall prescribe the eligibility requirements and, in his or her discretion, shall approve and prescribe stickers or decals as provided under Section 3-412.

(c) An applicant shall be charged a $15 fee for original issuance in addition to the applicable registration fee. This additional fee shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.

(625 ILCS 5/3-806) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-806)

Sec. 3-806. Registration Fees; Motor Vehicles of the First Division. Every owner of any other motor vehicle of the first division, except as provided in Sections 3-804, 3-805, 3-806.3, 3-806.7, and 3-808, and every second division vehicle weighing 8,000 pounds or less, shall pay the Secretary of State an annual registration fee at the following rates:

Beginning with the 2010 registration year a $1 surcharge shall be collected in addition to the above fees for motor vehicles of the first division, motorcycles, motor driven cycles, and pedalcycles to be deposited into the State Police Vehicle Fund.

(Source: P.A. 95-1009, eff. 12-15-08.)

(625 ILCS 5/3-806.7 new)

Sec. 3-806.7. Registration fees for active duty military personnel.

(a) Beginning with the 2011 registration year, the standard registration fee set forth in Section 3-806 of this Code for passenger motor vehicles of the first division and motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds and registered under Section 3-815 of this Code, shall be reduced by 50% for any Illinois vehicle owner who was on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United States and stationed outside of the United States for a period of 90 days or longer during the preceding registration year.

(b) Illinois residents who are members of the Armed Forces of the United States and who have been stationed outside of the United States for a period of 6 months or longer, and who placed their registered motor vehicle in storage during the time they served abroad, shall be entitled to credit for the unused portion of that registration when they renew the registration of that vehicle upon their return to the United States. For each month or part thereof that the vehicle was in storage and had current registration, the member of the armed forces shall receive one month of registration without charge.