SENATE FILE 2026

BY  BEALL and ERNST

A BILL FOR

An Act providing for the issuance of woman veteran motor vehicle registration plates, and establishing and allocating fees.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 35A.11, Code Supplement 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  9A.  Woman veteran plates issued pursuant to section 321.34, subsection 20D.
    Sec. 2.  Section 321.34, Code Supplement 2011, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  20D.  Woman veteran plates.
   a.  The department, in consultation with the adjutant general, shall design a woman veteran distinguishing processed emblem. Upon receipt of two hundred fifty orders for woman veteran special registration plates, accompanied by a start-up fee of twenty dollars per order, the department shall begin issuing special registration plates with the woman veteran distinguishing processed emblem as provided in paragraphs “b” and “c”.
   b.  An owner referred to in subsection 12 who is a female veteran of military service may, upon written application to the department and presentation of satisfactory proof of an honorable discharge from the United States armed forces, order special registration plates with a woman veteran processed emblem. The special plate fees collected by the director under subsection 12, paragraphs “a” and “c”, from the issuance and annual validation of letter-number designated and personalized woman veteran plates shall be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state shall transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund created under section 321.145, subsection 2, to the veterans license fee fund created in section 35A.11 the amount of the special fees collected under subsection 12, paragraph “a”, in the previous month for woman veteran plates.
   c.  The surviving spouse of a person who was issued special plates under this subsection may continue to use or apply for and use the special plates subject to registration of the special plates in the surviving spouse’s name and upon payment of the annual five-dollar special plate renewal fee and the regular annual registration fee for the vehicle. If the surviving spouse remarries, the surviving spouse shall return the special plates to the department and the department shall issue regular registration plates to the surviving spouse.
    Sec. 3.  Section 321.145, subsection 2, paragraph b, subparagraph (3), Code Supplement 2011, is amended to read as follows:
   (3)  The amounts required to be transferred pursuant to section 321.34 from revenues available under this subsection shall be transferred and credited as provided in section 321.34, subsections 7, 10, 10A, 11, 11A, 11B, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 20A, 20B, 20C,
 
20D, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26 for the various purposes specified in those subsections.
EXPLANATION
   This bill provides for the issuance of special motor vehicle registration plates for woman veterans. The department of transportation, in consultation with the adjutant general, is directed to design a distinguishing processed emblem for the new plate. The department shall begin issuing the special plates with the woman veteran processed emblem upon receipt of 250 orders accompanied by a start-up fee of $20 per order.
   A motor vehicle owner who is an honorably discharged female veteran of the United States armed forces is required to provide satisfactory proof of the veteran’s status to qualify for the special plates. The fee for issuance of the special plate is $25, and the fee for renewal is $5. Both fees are in addition to the regular annual registration fee for the vehicle. Additional fees of $25 for issuance and $5 for renewal apply for a personalized special plate. The fees are credited to the road use tax fund, then on a monthly basis an amount equal to $25 for each special plate issued and $5 for each renewal is transferred from the statutory allocations fund to the veterans license fee fund.
   The bill provides that a surviving spouse of a woman veteran may continue to use the veteran’s special plates or may apply for and use the special plates, subject to the applicable fees. The plates must be surrendered if the surviving spouse remarries.