28-2470.34. Public safety personnel mental health special plates; fund

A. If, by December 31, 2025, a person pays $32,000 to the department for the implementation of this section, the department shall issue public safety personnel mental health special plates. The person that provides the $32,000 shall design the public safety personnel mental health special plates. The color and design of the public safety personnel mental health special plates are subject to approval of the department. The director may allow a request for public safety personnel mental health special plates to be combined with a request for personalized special plates. If the director allows such a combination, the request shall be in a form prescribed by the director and is subject to the fees for the personalized special plates in addition to the fees required for the public safety personnel mental health special plates.

B. Of the $25 fee required by section 28-2402 for the original special plates and for the renewal of special plates, $8 is a special plate administration fee and $17 is an annual donation.

C. The department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all special plate administration fees in the state highway fund established by section 28-6991 and shall transmit all donations collected pursuant to this section to the public safety personnel mental health special plate fund established by this section.

D. The public safety personnel mental health special plate fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to this section. The director shall administer the fund. The first $32,000 in the fund shall be reimbursed to the person that paid the implementation fee to the department pursuant to subsection A of this section. Not more than ten percent of the monies deposited in the fund annually shall be used for the cost of administering the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.

E. The director shall annually allocate monies from the fund to an entity that is qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code for federal income tax purposes. The entity must:

1. Provide anonymous mental health wellness and suicide prevention for public safety personnel and family members of public safety personnel.

2. Provide stress coaching that focuses on public safety personnel, family members of public safety personnel and public safety organizations, including:

(a) Proactive and resiliency training to assist public safety personnel to recognize early warning signs in themselves and their colleagues.

(b) Family support to assist family members of public safety personnel in understanding the unique stressors associated with a public safety lifestyle and recognizing early warning signs.

(c) Personalized support for public safety personnel and family members of public safety personnel which is available twenty-four hours a day.

F. On notice from the director, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.