HB1081eng 99TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HB1081 Engrossed LRB099 04927 RJF 24956 b

AN ACT concerning transportation.

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

Section 1. Purpose. The General Assembly recognizes the desire of many commendable civic organizations and causes to be acknowledged by a special license plate and further recognizes that the issuance of special license plates may raise funds that will benefit these organizations and causes. However, the General Assembly also recognizes that the proliferation of special license plates in Illinois creates a significant challenge to law enforcement officials who are required to be familiar with, recognize, read, and record information from more than 100 types of special license plates now being issued in Illinois. To address this situation, the purpose of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly is to authorize the issuance of Universal special license plates.

Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by changing Section 3-600 and by adding Section 3-699.14 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-600) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 3-600)

Sec. 3-600. Requirements for issuance of special plates.

(a) The Secretary of State shall issue only special plates that have been authorized by the General Assembly. Except as provided in subsection (a-5), the The Secretary of State shall not issue a series of special plates, or Universal special plates associated with an organization authorized to issue decals for Universal special plates, unless applications, as prescribed by the Secretary, have been received for 2,000 10,000 plates of that series; except that the Secretary of State may prescribe some other required number of applications if that number is sufficient to pay for the total cost of designing, manufacturing and issuing the special license plate. Where a special plate is authorized by law to raise funds for a specific civic group, charitable entity, or other identified organization, or when the civic group, charitable entity, or organization is authorized to issue decals for Universal special license plates, and where the Secretary of State has not received the required number of applications to issue that special plate within 2 years of the effective date of the Public Act authorizing the special plate or decal, the Secretary of State's authority to issue the special plate or a Universal special plate associated with that decal is nullified. All applications for special plates shall be on a form designated by the Secretary and shall be accompanied by any civic group's, charitable entity's, or other identified fundraising organization's portion of the additional fee associated with that plate or decal. All fees collected under this Section are non-refundable and shall be deposited in the special fund as designated in the enabling legislation, regardless of whether the plate or decal is produced. Upon the adoption of this amendatory Act of the 99th General Assembly, no further special license plates shall be authorized by the General Assembly unless that special license plate is authorized under subsection (a-5) of this Section.

(a-5) If the General Assembly authorizes the issuance of a special plate that recognizes the applicant's military service or receipt of a military medal or award, the Secretary may immediately begin issuing that special plate.

(b) The Secretary of State, upon issuing a new series of special license plates, shall notify all law enforcement officials of the design, color and other special features of the special license plate series.

(c) This Section shall not apply to the Secretary of State's discretion as established in Section 3-611.

(d) If a law authorizing a special license plate provides that the sponsoring organization is to designate a charitable entity as the recipient of the funds from the sale of that license plate, the designated charitable entity must be in compliance with the registration and reporting requirements of the Charitable Trust Act and the Solicitation for Charity Act. In addition, the charitable entity must annually provide the Secretary of State's office a letter of compliance issued by the Illinois Attorney General's office verifying the entity is in compliance with the Acts.

In the case of a law in effect before the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the name of the charitable entity which is to receive the funds shall be provided to the Secretary of State within one year after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly. In the case of a law that takes effect on or after the effective date of this amendatory Act of the 97th General Assembly, the name of the charitable entity which is to receive the funds shall be provided to the Secretary of State within one year after the law takes effect. If the organization fails to designate an appropriate charitable entity within the one-year period, or if the designated charitable entity fails to annually provide the Secretary of State a letter of compliance issued by the Illinois Attorney General's office, any funds collected from the sale of plates authorized for that organization and not previously disbursed shall be transferred to the General Revenue Fund, and the special plates shall be discontinued.

(e) If fewer than 1,000 sets of any special license plate authorized by law and issued by the Secretary of State are actively registered for 2 consecutive calendar years, the Secretary of State may discontinue the issuance of that special license plate or require that special license plate to be exchanged for Universal special plates with appropriate decals.

(f) Where special license plates have been discontinued pursuant to subsection (d) or (e) of this Section, or when the special license plates are required to be exchanged for Universal special plates under subsection (e) of this Section, all previously issued plates of that type shall be recalled. Owners of vehicles which were registered with recalled plates shall not be charged a reclassification or registration sticker replacement plate fee upon the issuance of new plates for those vehicles.

(g) Any special plate that is authorized to be issued for motorcycles may also be issued for autocycles.

(Source: P.A. 97-409, eff. 1-1-12; 98-777, eff. 1-1-15.)

(625 ILCS 5/3-699.14 new)

Sec. 3-699.14. Universal special 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, may issue Universal special license plates to residents of Illinois on behalf of organizations that have been authorized by the General Assembly to issue decals for Universal special license plates. Appropriate documentation, as determined by the Secretary, shall accompany each application. Authorized organizations shall be designated by amendment to this Section. When applying for a Universal special license plate the applicant shall inform the Secretary of the name of the authorized organization from which the applicant will obtain a decal to place on the plate. The Secretary shall make a record of that organization and that organization shall remain affiliated with that plate until the plate is surrendered, revoked, or otherwise cancelled. The authorized organization may charge a fee to offset the cost of producing and distributing the decal, but that fee shall be retained by the authorized organization and shall be separate and distinct from any registration fees charged by the Secretary. No decal, sticker, or other material may be affixed to a Universal special license plate other than a decal authorized by the General Assembly in this Section or a registration renewal sticker. The special plates issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division, including motorcycles and autocycles, or motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according to the multi-year procedure under Section 3-414.1 of this Code.

(b) The design, color, and format of the Universal special license plate shall be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary. Universal special license plates are not required to designate "Land of Lincoln", as prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The design shall allow for the application of a decal to the plate. Organizations authorized by the General Assembly to issue decals for Universal special license plates shall comply with rules adopted by the Secretary governing the requirements for and approval of Universal special license plate decals. The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow Universal special license plates to be issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The Secretary of State must make a version of the special registration plates authorized under this Section in a form appropriate for motorcycles and autocycles.

(c) When authorizing a Universal special license plate, the General Assembly shall set forth whether an additional fee is to be charged for the plate and, if a fee is to be charged, the amount of the fee and how the fee is to be distributed. When necessary, the authorizing language shall create a special fund in the State treasury into which fees may be deposited for an authorized Universal special license plate. Additional fees may only be charged if the fee is to be paid over to a State agency or to a charitable entity that is in compliance with the registration and reporting requirements of the Charitable Trust Act and the Solicitation for Charity Act. Any charitable entity receiving fees for the sale of Universal special license plates shall annually provide the Secretary of State a letter of compliance issued by the Attorney General verifying that the entity is in compliance with the Charitable Trust Act and the Solicitation for Charity Act.

(d) Upon original issuance and for each registration renewal period, in addition to the appropriate registration fee, if applicable, the Secretary shall collect any additional fees, if required, for issuance of Universal special license plates. The fees shall be collected on behalf of the organization designated by the applicant when applying for the plate. All fees collected shall be transferred to the State agency on whose behalf the fees were collected, or paid into the special fund designated in the law authorizing the organization to issue decals for Universal special license plates. All money in the designated fund shall be distributed by the Secretary subject to appropriation by the General Assembly.

(625 ILCS 5/3-633 rep.)

Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by repealing Section 3-633.

Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2016.