Chapter 520
AN ACT
SB 789
Relating to share the road registration plate; amending ORS 805.205.
Be It Enacted by the People of
the State of
SECTION 1. ORS 805.205 is amended to read:
805.205. (1) The
Department of Transportation by rule shall provide for issuance of registration
plates described in [subsection] subsections
(3) and (7) of this section for nonprofit groups meeting the
qualifications for tax exempt status under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal
Revenue Code, for institutions of higher education and for veterans’
organizations. The department shall also provide, upon request from a veterans’
group or the Director of Veterans’ Affairs, for issuance of a veterans’
recognition registration plate that may be issued only to veterans. Plates
issued under this section may be issued to owners of motor vehicles registered
under the provisions of ORS 803.420 (1). Plates issued under this section may
not contain expressions of political opinion or religious belief. Rules adopted
under this section shall include, but need not be limited to, rules that:
(a) Describe general
qualifications to be met by any group in order to be eligible for plates issued
under this section.
(b) Specify
circumstances under which the department may cease to issue plates for any
particular group.
(c) Require each group
for which plates are issued, other than a group or the Director of Veterans’
Affairs requesting a veterans’ recognition plate, to file an annual statement
on a form designed by the department showing that the group is a nonprofit
group or an institution of higher education and otherwise meets the
qualifications imposed for eligibility for plates issued under this section.
The statement shall include names and addresses of current directors or
officers of the group or of other persons authorized to speak for the group or
institution on matters affecting plates issued under this section.
(d) Require proof of
veteran status for issuance of a veterans’ recognition plate and specify what
constitutes proof.
(2)(a) Except as
otherwise provided in [paragraph (b)]
paragraphs (b) and (c) of this subsection, in addition to any other fee
authorized by law, upon issuance of a plate under this section and upon renewal
of registration for a vehicle that has plates issued under this section, the
department shall collect a surcharge of $2.50 per plate for each year of the
registration period.
(b) In addition to any
other fee authorized by law, upon issuance of a plate under this section that
recognizes an institution of higher education in this state, and upon renewal
of registration for a vehicle that has such plates, the department shall
collect a surcharge of $8 per plate for each year of the registration period.
(c) In addition to
any other fee authorized by law, upon issuance of a Share the Road registration
plate, as described in subsection (7) of this section, the department shall
collect a surcharge of $5 per year of registration.
(3) Plates issued under
this section shall be from the current regular issue of plates except that:
(a) In consultation with
the group or the Director of Veterans’ Affairs requesting the plates, the
department shall add words to the plate that name or describe the group or
veterans recognized.
(b) If the group or the
Director of Veterans’ Affairs requesting the plates represents
persons who have been awarded the Purple Heart medal, the plates shall contain
an image of the medal.
(c) If the group
requesting the plates is an institution of higher education, the plates shall,
upon request, contain words that indicate the plates are issued to recognize
the institution or shall contain the institution’s logo or an image of the
institution’s mascot.
(4) Except as otherwise
required by the design chosen, the plates shall comply with the requirements of
ORS 803.535. The department shall determine how many sets of plates shall be
manufactured for each group approved under this section or for the Director of
Veterans’ Affairs. If the department does not sell or issue renewal for 500
sets of plates for a particular group or for the Director of Veterans’ Affairs
in any one year, the department shall cease production of those plates.
(5) Except as otherwise
provided in subsection (6) of this section, each group that is found by the
department to be eligible for plates issued under this section may designate an
account into which the net proceeds of the surcharge collected by the
department under subsection (2) of this section are to be deposited. The
department shall keep accurate records of the number of plates issued for each
group that qualifies. After payment of administrative expenses of the
department, moneys collected under this section for each group shall be
deposited by the department into an account specified by that group. If any
group does not specify an account for the moneys collected from the sale of
plates issued under this section, the department shall deposit moneys collected
for those plates into the Environmental Quality Information Account established
under ORS 802.100 to be used as other moneys in the account are used. Deposits
under this subsection shall be made at least quarterly.
(6)(a) Each institution
of higher education that requests a plate under this section shall designate an
account in the general fund of the institution, and the proceeds in the account
shall be used for the purpose of academic enrichment at the institution.
(b) Net proceeds of the
surcharge collected by the department for the veterans’ recognition plate shall
be deposited in the trust fund established under ORS 406.050 for paying the
expenses of operating the Oregon Veterans’ Home. Deposits under this paragraph
shall be made at least quarterly.
(c) Net proceeds of
the surcharge collected by the department for Share the Road registration
plates shall be deposited into two accounts designated by the Bicycle
Transportation Alliance and Cycle Oregon. The department shall evenly
distribute the net proceeds to each account. Deposits under this paragraph
shall be made at least quarterly. At any time that the department determines
that the accounts designated by the Bicycle Transportation Alliance and Cycle
Oregon cease to exist, the department may deposit the proceeds into the
Environmental Quality Information Account established under ORS 802.100.
(7) Notwithstanding
subsection (3) of this section, the department shall design a Share the Road
registration plate in consultation with the Bicycle Transportation
Approved by the Governor June 20, 2007
Filed in the office of Secretary of State June 21, 2007
Effective date January 1, 2008
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