House File 2148 - Introduced HOUSE FILE 2148 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION (SUCCESSOR TO HF 540) (SUCCESSOR TO HF 111) A BILL FOR An Act relating to the issuance and display of one registration 1 plate on motor vehicles. 2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 3 TLSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh

H.F. 2148 Section 1. Section 321.18, subsection 7, Code 2016, is 1 amended to read as follows: 2 7. Any school bus in this state used exclusively for 3 the transportation of pupils to and from school or a school 4 function or for the purposes provided in section 285.1, 5 subsection 1 , and section 285.10, subsection 9 , or used 6 exclusively for the transportation of children enrolled in a 7 federal head start program. Upon application the department 8 shall, without charge, issue a registration certificate and a 9 registration plates plate . The plates plate shall be attached 10 to the front and rear of each bus exempt from registration 11 under this subsection . 12 Sec. 2. Section 321.22, subsection 1, Code 2016, is amended 13 to read as follows: 14 1. An urban transit company or system having a franchise 15 to operate in any city and any regional transit system may 16 make application to the department, upon forms furnished by 17 the department, for a certificate containing a distinguishing 18 number and for one or more pairs of registration plates to be 19 attached to the front and rear of buses owned or operated by 20 the transit company or system. 21 Sec. 3. Section 321.26, subsection 2, Code 2016, is amended 22 to read as follows: 23 2. The county treasurer may adjust the renewal or expiration 24 date of vehicles when deemed necessary to equalize the number 25 of vehicles registered in each twelve-month period or for the 26 administrative efficiency of the county treasurer’s office. 27 The adjustment shall be accomplished by delivery of a written 28 notice to the vehicle owner of the adjustment and allowance of 29 a credit for the remaining months of the unused portion of the 30 annual registration fee, rounded to the nearest whole dollar, 31 which amount shall be deducted from the annual registration 32 fee due at the time of registration. Upon receipt of the 33 notification the owner shall, within thirty days, surrender the 34 registration card and registration plates plate to the county 35 -1- LSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh 1/ 5

H.F. 2148 treasurer of the county where the vehicle is registered, except 1 that the registration plates plate shall not be surrendered 2 if a validation stickers sticker or other emblems are emblem 3 is used to designate the month and year of expiration of 4 registration. Upon payment of the annual registration fee, 5 less the credit allowed for the remaining months of the 6 unused portion of the annual registration fee, the county 7 treasurer shall issue a new registration card and registration 8 plates plate , validation stickers sticker , or emblems emblem 9 which indicate indicates the month and year of expiration of 10 registration. 11 Sec. 4. Section 321.34, subsections 1 and 2, Code 2016, are 12 amended to read as follows: 13 1. Plates Plate issued. The county treasurer upon receiving 14 application, accompanied by proper fee, for registration of a 15 vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for 16 a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, truck tractor, trailer, or 17 semitrailer and two registration plates for every other motor 18 vehicle . The registration plates plate , including any special 19 registration plates plate , shall be assigned to the owner of a 20 vehicle. When the owner of a registered vehicle transfers or 21 assigns ownership of the vehicle to another person, the owner 22 shall remove the registration plates plate from the vehicle. 23 The owner shall forward the plates plate to the county 24 treasurer where the vehicle is registered or the owner may have 25 the plates plate assigned to another vehicle within thirty days 26 after transfer, upon payment of the fees required by law. The 27 owner shall immediately affix the registration plates plate 28 retained by the owner to another vehicle owned or acquired by 29 the owner, providing the owner complies with section 321.46 . 30 The department shall adopt rules providing for the assignment 31 of a registration plates plate to the transferee of a vehicle 32 for which a credit is allowed under section 321.46, subsection 33 6 . 34 2. Validation stickers. 35 -2- LSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh 2/ 5

H.F. 2148 a. In lieu of issuing a new registration plates plate 1 each registration year for a vehicle renewing registration, 2 the department may reassign the registration plates plate 3 previously issued to the vehicle and may adopt and prescribe 4 an annual validation sticker indicating payment of annual 5 registration fees. The department shall issue one validation 6 sticker for each set of registration plates plate . The 7 sticker shall specify the month and year of expiration of the 8 registration plates plate . The sticker shall be displayed 9 only on the rear registration plate, except that the sticker 10 shall be displayed on the front registration plate of a truck 11 tractor. 12 b. The state department of transportation shall adopt rules 13 to provide for the placement of the motor vehicle registration 14 validation sticker. 15 Sec. 5. Section 321.37, Code 2016, is amended to read as 16 follows: 17 321.37 Display of plates plate . 18 1. Registration plates The registration plate issued for 19 a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, motorized bicycle or 20 a truck tractor shall be attached to the rear of the motor 21 vehicle , one in the front and the other in the rear . The 22 registration plate issued for a motorcycle or other vehicle 23 required to be registered hereunder shall be attached to the 24 rear of the vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck 25 tractor shall be attached to the front of the truck tractor. 26 The special plate issued to a dealer shall be attached on the 27 rear of the vehicle when operated on the highways of this 28 state. 29 2. Registration plates issued for a motor vehicle which 30 is model year 1948 or older, and reconstructed or specially 31 constructed vehicles built to resemble a model year 1948 32 vehicle or older, other than a truck registered for more than 33 five tons, motorcycle, or truck tractor, may display one 34 registration plate on the rear of the vehicle if the other 35 -3- LSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh 3/ 5

H.F. 2148 registration plate issued to the vehicle is carried in the 1 vehicle at all times when the vehicle is operated on a public 2 highway. 3 3. 2. It is unlawful for the owner of a vehicle to place 4 any frame around or over the registration plate which does not 5 permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the 6 registration plate. 7 Sec. 6. CODE EDITOR DIRECTIVE. The Code editor may make any 8 change the Code editor deems necessary to any Code section that 9 refers, in any context, to a set of, a pair of, or two motor 10 vehicle registration plates rather than one registration plate, 11 when there appears to be no doubt as to the proper method of 12 making the correction. 13 Sec. 7. TRANSITION PROVISIONS. The transition from the 14 use of motor vehicle registration plates on both the front 15 and rear of certain vehicles to the use of such plates on 16 only the rear of certain vehicles, as directed by this Act, 17 shall be accomplished in stages. A person applying for a new 18 or replacement registration plate on or after July 1, 2016, 19 shall receive only one registration plate. Otherwise, the 20 transition shall not be accomplished until a new series of 21 registration plates is issued to replace a current series. The 22 department of transportation shall adopt rules to implement the 23 transition. 24 EXPLANATION 25 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 26 the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly. 27 Under current law, two registration plates are issued for a 28 motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, motorized bicycle, or 29 truck tractor, and are required to be attached to the front and 30 rear of the vehicle. 31 This bill provides that only one registration plate shall 32 be issued for a motor vehicle. The registration plate shall 33 be attached to the rear of the motor vehicle, except that the 34 registration plate for a truck tractor shall be attached to the 35 -4- LSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh 4/ 5

H.F. 2148 front of the truck tractor, in accord with current law. 1 The bill also makes corresponding Code language changes, 2 directs the Code editor to make changes to language referring 3 to two registration plates rather than one, and provides for 4 the transition from the use of two registration plates to the 5 use of one registration plate. 6 -5- LSB 1764HZ (3) 86 ns/nh 5/ 5