SF 2234 (LSB 5306XS (4) 91)

SENATE FILE 2234

BY  WEBSTER

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) special registration plates, providing fees, and making appropriations.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.34, Code 2026, is amended by adding the following new subsection:
   NEW SUBSECTION.  16A.  U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates.
   a.  Upon application and payment of the proper fees, the director may issue special registration plates displaying a U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) processed emblem to the owner of a motor vehicle referred to in subsection 12.
   b.  The department shall design the processed emblem to depict the official crest of the U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) in consultation with the U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) commissioning committee.
   c.  The special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee for letter-number designated U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates is thirty-five dollars. An applicant may obtain personalized U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates upon payment of the fee for personalized plates as provided in subsection 5, which is in addition to the special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee. Personalized plates authorized by this subsection shall be limited to no more than five numerals, letters, or combinations of numerals and letters.
   d.  The fees collected by the director under this subsection 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 general fund of the state the amount of the special fees collected in the previous month for U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates. Such moneys are appropriated to the department of veterans affairs to distribute in the form of grants to organizations that provide suicide prevention support to veterans. Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated under this paragraph shall not revert.
   e.  Upon receipt of the special registration plates, the applicant shall surrender the current registration plates to the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall validate the special registration plates in the same manner as regular registration plates are validated under this section. The annual special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee for letter-number designated plates is ten dollars which shall be paid in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for personalized U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates is five dollars which shall be paid in addition to the annual special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee and the regular annual registration fee. The annual special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee shall be credited as provided under paragraph “d”.
   f.  The department shall not condition the issuance of U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates on the receipt of any number of orders for U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   This bill authorizes the department of transportation (DOT) to issue U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) special registration plates. The U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) is a Virginia-class attack submarine.
   The bill provides that the special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee for letter-number designated U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates is $35. An applicant may obtain personalized U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates by paying an additional $25 fee for personalized registration plates as provided in Code section 321.34(5), which is in addition to the special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee. Personalized U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates are limited to five numerals and letters. The annual special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee for letter-number designated plates is $10, which is in addition to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for personalized U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates is $5, which is in addition to both the annual special U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) fee and the regular annual registration fee.
   The fees collected by the DOT must be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state must transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund to the general fund of the state an amount equal to the special fees collected in the previous month for U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates. Such moneys are appropriated to the department of veterans affairs to distribute in the form of grants to organizations that provide suicide prevention support to veterans.
   The bill prohibits the DOT from conditioning the issuance of U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates on the receipt of any number of orders for U.S.S. Iowa (SSN-797) plates.
   Under current law, nonprofit organizations are authorized to apply to the DOT for approval to issue a decal of the organization’s own design to be displayed on special registration plates with space reserved for an organizational decal. The nonprofit organization may charge a fee and retain any payment received for the organizational decal. Code section 321.34(13) sets forth the application process and certain limitations for nonprofit organizations and decal designs.