HB 2859
Initials JB Page 1 Transmitted
ARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
Fifty-sixth Legislature
Second Regular Session
House: TI DPA 11-0-0-0 | 3
rd
Read 41-16-2-0-1
Senate: TTMC DP 5-1-1-0 | 3
rd
Read 20-10-0-0
HB 2859: teen suicide awareness special plates
Sponsor: Representative Gress, LD 4
Transmitted to the Governor
Overview
Establishes the Teen Suicide Awareness Special Plate and Fund, the Arizona Professional
Women's Basketball Club Special Plate and extends the deadline for someone to pay the
$32,000 implementation fee to establish the Gila River Indian Community Special Plate.
History
The Arizona Department of Transportation (ADOT) is required to provide every vehicle
owner one license plate for every vehicle registered upon application and payment of fees
(A.R.S. § 28- 2351). Statute requires ADOT to issue or renew special plates according to
specified requirements (A.R.S. § 28-2403). An initial and annual renewal fee of $25 is
required for the special plate in addition to the vehicle registration fees. Of the $25 special
plate fee, $8 is an administrative fee and $17 is an annual donation (A.R.S. §§ 28-2402, 2404).
Special plates require a standard $32,000 implementation fee.
All license plates, including special plates, that are designed or redesigned after September
24, 2022, are required to have: 1) the background color of the license plate contrast
significantly with the color of the letters and numerals and the name of the state on the
license plate; and 2) the name of the state appear on the license plate in capital letters in
sans serif font with a height of three-fourths of an inch (A.R.S. § 28- 2351).
Provisions
1. Requires ADOT to establish, if a person pays the respective $32,000 implementation fee
by December 31st, 2024:
a) the Teen Suicide Awareness Special Plate and Fund; and
b) the Arizona Professional Women's Basketball Club Special Plate. (Sec. 3, 5)
2. Requires the person who provides the $32,000 implementation fee to design the special
plate they paid to implement. (Sec. 3, 5)
3. States that the design and color of the special plates are subject to the approval of ADOT.
(Sec. 3, 5)
4. Allows the Director of ADOT (Director) to combine requests for the special plates with
requests for personalized special plates and subjects the request to additional fees. (Sec.
3, 5)
5. Stipulates that of the $25 fee for the special plates, $8 is an administration fee and $17 is
an annual donation. (Sec. 3, 5) HB 2859
Initials JB Page 2 Transmitted
6. Requires ADOT to deposit all Teen Suicide Awareness Special Plate administration fees
into the State Highway Fund and all donations into the Teen Suicide Awareness Special
Plate Fund (Fund). (Sec. 5)
7. Directs the first $32,000 in the Fund to be reimbursed to the person who paid the
implementation fee for the Teen Suicide Awareness Special Plate. (Sec. 5)
8. Tasks the Director with administering the Fund. (Sec. 5)
9. Asserts that no more than 10% of monies in the Fund may be used for the cost of
administering the Fund. (Sec. 5)
10. Stipulates that monies in the Fund are continuously appropriated. (Sec. 5)
11. Requires the Director to annually allocate monies from the Fund to an entity that is
qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code for federal
income tax purposes that:
a) has been established in this state in 1986 to prevent teen suicide;
b) provides a peer-to-peer teen crisis hotline and text line;
c) has a mission to prevent teen suicide through enhancing resiliency in youth and
fostering supportive communities;
d) provides teen suicide prevention education to teenagers, schools and the community
at large;
e) has begun the school identification card initiative in 2015 to put peer counseling
information on the back of the cards;
f) hosts tabling events for teen suicide prevention awareness month;
g) provides prevention and hotline services to children and families at no cost; and
h) facilitates suicide prevention trainings for school staff. (Sec. 5)
12. Directs the State Treasurer, on notice from the Director, to invest and divest Fund monies
and states that monies earned from investment must be credited to the Fund. (Sec. 5)
13. Renames the Arizona Professional Basketball Club Special Plate Fund to the Arizona
Professional Basketball Clubs Special Plate Fund. (Sec. 3)
14. Renames the Arizona Professional Basketball Club Special Plate to the Arizona
Professional Men's Basketball Club Special Plate. (Sec. 3)
15. Requires ADOT to deposit all Arizona Professional Women's Basketball Club Special
Plate administration fees into the State Highway Fund. (Sec. 3)
16. Directs ADOT to deposit all Arizona Professional Women's Basketball Club Special
Plate donations into the Arizona Professional Basketball Clubs Special Plate Fund
which goes towards a private Arizona Professional Basketball Organization's foundation
that is qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States Internal Revenue Code for
federal income tax purposes. (Sec. 3)
17. Requires the first $32,000 of donations from the Arizona Professional Women's
Basketball Club Special Plate to be reimbursed to the person who paid the
implementation fee for the Arizona Professional Women's Basketball Club Special Plate.
(Sec. 3) HB 2859
Initials JB Page 3 Transmitted
18. Modifies the deadline for a person to pay $32,000 to ADOT to issue the Gila River Indian
Community Special Plates from December 31, 2023, to December 31, 2024. (Sec. 4)
19. Makes technical and conforming changes. (Sec. 1-2, 6-8)
☐ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal Note