HB2727 - 472R - Senate Fact Sheet

ARIZONA STATE SENATE

Forty-seventh Legislature, Second Regular Session

FACT SHEET FOR H.B. 2727

White Mountain Apache tribe plates

Purpose

Requires the Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) to issue special license plates for the White Mountain Apache Tribe if specified conditions are met.

Background

ADOT’s Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) provides one license plate to every motor vehicle owner for each vehicle registered. Vehicle license plates display both the name of the state as well as a number assigned to the vehicle and the owner. License plates must be clearly visible and displayed on the rear of the vehicle.

In addition to regular Arizona vehicle license plates, MVD issues special license plates for a variety of causes and organizations. The fee for obtaining or renewing a special license plate is $25. From the $25 fee, $8 is an administration fee that goes to ADOT for deposit in the State Highway Fund and $17 is considered a donation to the respective organization (A.R.S. § 28-2402). Plate personalization is an additional $25 fee.

The Legislature established the License Plate Commission (Commission) in 1997 to authorize special license plates. An organization may submit a request to ADOT for a special organization plate including a logo. ADOT forwards qualified requests to the Commission. The Commission may approve an organization’s request for a special license plate if the primary activity of the organization serves the community, contributes to the welfare of others and is not discriminatory or offensive in nature. The organization cannot promote a specific brand name, product, religion or faith (A.R.S. § 28-2404). In recent years, the Legislature has also authorized several special plates.

There are currently 64 types of license plates available in Arizona including specialized license plates, with the most popular being the personalized license plate. There are six military special plates, two types of handicapped plates and plates for the three state universities. There are also license plates indicating the vehicle’s status such as a farm vehicle or historic vehicle. Several special plates have been adopted in which part of the plates’ fee benefits the related cause such as the Child Abuse Prevention special license plate and the Environmental special license plate. Presently, there are two tribal special license plates including the Navajo Nation special license plate and the San Carlos Apache special license plate.

There is no anticipated fiscal impact to the state General Fund associated with this proposed legislation.

Provisions

1. Requires ADOT to issue special license plates for the White Mountain Apache Tribe if $32,000 is paid to ADOT by December 31, 2006 for implementation of the special plates.

2. Requires the color and design of the White Mountain Apache Tribe special plate to be different from the color and design of regular license plates as determined by the Commission and representative of the White Mountain Apache Tribe.

3. Allows the ADOT Director to permit requests for White Mountain Apache Tribe special plate to be combined with a personalized special plate in an ADOT prescribed form and subjects the plate to the personalized special plate fee and the White Mountain Apache Tribe special plate fee.

4. Requires ADOT to deposit all special plate administration fees in the State Highway Fund and transmit all donations to the White Mountain Apache Tribe Transportation Committee.

5. Requires the White Mountain Apache Tribe Transportation Committee to use donation monies for traffic control devices on highways on the Apache Indian Reservation located in Arizona that are not state highways.

6. Makes technical and conforming changes.

7. Becomes effective on the general effective date.

House Action

TRANS 2/9/06 DPA 7-1-0-1-0

3^rd Read 3/2/06 41-16-3-0

Prepared by Senate Research

March 24, 2006

DG/RD/ac