74th OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2007 Regular Session
NOTE: Matter within { + braces and plus signs + } in an
amended section is new. Matter within { - braces and minus
signs - } is existing law to be omitted. New sections are within
{ + braces and plus signs + } .
LC 1405
House Bill 2036
Ordered printed by the Speaker pursuant to House Rule 12.00A (5).
Presession filed (at the request of House Interim Committee on
Transportation for Keep Oregon Green Association, Inc.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the
measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject to
consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor's
brief statement of the essential features of the measure as
introduced.
Allows Department of Transportation to issue group plate for
group that promotes prevention of wildfires. Directs State
Forestry Department to seek federal approval to use image of
Smokey Bear on group plates.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to group registration plates; creating new provisions;
and amending ORS 805.205.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
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 (3) 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 { + is + } an institution of higher education
and { + that the + } { + group + } 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) 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 - } { + for a
group that promotes the prevention of wildfires or 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.
(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.
{ + (d) If the group requesting the plates promotes the
prevention of wildfires, the plates shall contain words that
promote the prevention of wildfires in Oregon and have an image
of Smokey Bear. Only plates with an image of Smokey Bear may be
used to promote the prevention of wildfires in Oregon. All fees
required to be paid for use of the image of Smokey Bear shall be
paid by the group requesting the plates that promote the
prevention of wildfires. If the department determines at any time
that use of the image of Smokey Bear is not authorized by the
federal government, the department may not issue any plates with
the image of Smokey Bear. + }
(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 a group that promotes the prevention of wildfires
shall be deposited in an account designated by the Keep Oregon
Green Association and shall be used for paying the expenses of
promoting the prevention of wildfires in Oregon. Deposits under
this paragraph shall be made at least quarterly. At any time that
the department determines that the account designated by the Keep
Oregon Green Association ceases to exist, the department may no
longer issue a plate with the image of Smokey Bear. + }
SECTION 2. { + The State Forestry Department, in collaboration
with the Keep Oregon Green Association, shall apply to the
federal government for permission to use the image of Smokey Bear
on registration plates for groups that promote the prevention of
wildfires. + }
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