House Study Bill 144 - Introduced HOUSE FILE _____ BY (PROPOSED COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION BILL BY CHAIRPERSON YOUNG) A BILL FOR An Act relating to vehicle registration plates, including 1 registration plate frames and Gadsden flag special 2 registration plates, providing fees, and making 3 appropriations. 4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA: 5 TLSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns
H.F. _____ Section 1. Section 321.34, Code 2025, is amended by adding 1 the following new subsection: 2 NEW SUBSECTION . 11E. Gadsden flag plates. 3 a. Upon application and payment of the proper fees, the 4 director may issue Gadsden flag plates to the owner of a 5 motor vehicle subject to registration under section 321.109, 6 subsection 1, autocycle, motor truck, motor home, multipurpose 7 vehicle, motorcycle, trailer, or travel trailer. 8 b. Gadsden flag plates shall be designed by the department. 9 The background shall be yellow at the top and bottom, with the 10 color fading into white in the center. The plates numbers 11 and letters shall be black. The left side of the plate shall 12 depict a black and white rattlesnake coiled on green grass. 13 The image depicting the coiled rattlesnake shall be at least 14 three inches tall and two inches wide. The phrase Dont Tread 15 on Me shall appear at the bottom of the plate. 16 c. The special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated 17 Gadsden flag plates is fifty dollars. An applicant may obtain 18 personalized Gadsden flag plates upon payment of the fee for 19 personalized plates as provided in subsection 5, which is in 20 addition to the special Gadsden flag fee. Personalized plates 21 authorized by this subsection shall be limited to no more 22 than five numerals, letters, or combinations of numerals and 23 letters. 24 d. The fees collected by the director under this subsection 25 shall be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited 26 in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state shall 27 transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund created 28 under section 321.145, subsection 2, to the general fund of 29 the state an amount equal to the special fees collected in 30 the previous month for Gadsden flag plates, minus one dollar 31 per issuance or renewal of the plates that month. Such 32 moneys are appropriated to the department of public safety 33 to distribute in the form of grants to provide education and 34 training on the right to keep and bear arms protected under 35 -1- LSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns 1/ 5
H.F. _____ the Constitution of the United States and the Constitution of 1 the State of Iowa, and training on firearm safety. In the 2 awarding of grants, the department of public safety shall give 3 first consideration to any official state association of the 4 national rifle association and similar nonprofit organizations. 5 Notwithstanding section 8.33, moneys appropriated under this 6 subsection shall not revert to the general fund of the state. 7 e. Upon receipt of the special registration plates, the 8 applicant shall surrender the current registration plates to 9 the county treasurer. The county treasurer shall validate 10 the special registration plates in the same manner as regular 11 registration plates are validated under this section. The 12 annual special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated 13 plates is fifty dollars which shall be paid in addition to 14 the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for 15 personalized Gadsden flag plates is five dollars which shall be 16 paid in addition to the annual special Gadsden flag fee and the 17 regular annual registration fee. The annual special Gadsden 18 flag fee shall be credited as provided under paragraph d . 19 f. The department shall not condition the issuance of 20 Gadsden flag plates on the receipt of any number of orders for 21 Gadsden flag plates. 22 Sec. 2. Section 321.37, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended 23 to read as follows: 24 3. It is unlawful for the The owner of a vehicle to shall 25 not place any a frame around or over the a registration plate 26 which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters 27 printed on the registration plate , other than the name of the 28 county . 29 Sec. 3. Section 321.166, subsections 2 and 9, Code 2025, are 30 amended to read as follows: 31 2. Every registration plate or pair of plates shall display 32 a registration plate number which shall consist of alphabetical 33 or numerical characters or a combination thereof and the name 34 of this state, which may be abbreviated. Every registration 35 -2- LSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns 2/ 5
H.F. _____ plate issued by the county treasurer shall display the name 1 of the county, including any plate issued pursuant to section 2 321.34 , except Pearl Harbor and purple heart registration 3 plates issued prior to January 1, 1997; and collegiate, fire 4 fighter, and medal of honor , and Gadsden flag registration 5 plates. Special truck registration plates shall display the 6 word special. The department may adopt rules to implement 7 this subsection . 8 9. Special registration plates issued pursuant to section 9 321.34 , other than gold star, medal of honor, collegiate, fire 10 fighter, natural resources, blackout, and flying our colors , 11 and Gadsden flag registration plates, shall be consistent with 12 the design and color of regular registration plates but shall 13 provide a space on a portion of the plate for the purpose of 14 allowing the placement of a distinguishing processed emblem or 15 an organization decal. Special registration plates shall also 16 comply with the requirements for regular registration plates 17 as provided in this section to the extent the requirements are 18 consistent with the section authorizing a particular special 19 vehicle registration plate. 20 EXPLANATION 21 The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with 22 the explanations substance by the members of the general assembly. 23 This bill relates to vehicle registration plates. 24 The bill authorizes the department of transportation (DOT) 25 to design and issue Gadsden flag special registration plates. 26 The bill requires the plates background to be yellow at the 27 top and bottom, with the color fading into white in the center. 28 The plates numbers and letters must be black. The left side 29 of the plate must contain the image of a rattlesnake in black 30 and white coiled on green grass. The phrase Dont Tread on 31 Me must appear at the bottom of the plate. 32 The bill provides that the special Gadsden flag fee for 33 letter-number designated Gadsden flag plates is $50. An 34 applicant may obtain personalized Gadsden flag plates upon 35 -3- LSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns 3/ 5
H.F. _____ payment of the $25 fee for personalized plates set forth under 1 current law, which is in addition to the special Gadsden flag 2 fee. Personalized Gadsden flag plates are limited to five 3 numerals and letters. The annual special Gadsden flag fee for 4 letter-number designated plates is $50, which is in addition 5 to the regular annual registration fee. The annual fee for 6 personalized Gadsden flag plates is $5, which is in addition 7 to the annual special Gadsden flag fee and the regular annual 8 registration fee. 9 The fees collected by the DOT must be paid monthly to the 10 treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund 11 (RUTF). The treasurer of state must transfer monthly from the 12 statutory allocations fund to the general fund of the state 13 an amount equal to the special fees collected in the previous 14 month for the Gadsden flag plates, minus $1 per issuance or 15 renewal of the plates that month. Such moneys are appropriated 16 to department of public safety (DPS) to distribute in the form 17 of grants to provide education and training on the right to 18 keep and bear arms, and training on firearm safety. In the 19 awarding of grants, DPS must give first consideration to any 20 official state association of the national rifle association 21 and similar nonprofit organizations. 22 The bill prohibits the DOT from conditioning the issuance of 23 Gadsden flag plates on the receipt of any number of orders for 24 Gadsden flag plates. 25 Gadsden flag plates are exempt from the general requirements 26 to display the name of the county that issues the plates and to 27 be consistent with the design and color of regular registration 28 plates. 29 Under current law, nonprofit organizations are authorized 30 to apply to the DOT for approval to issue a decal of the 31 organizations own design to be displayed on special 32 registration plates with space reserved for an organizational 33 decal. The nonprofit organization may charge a fee and retain 34 any payment received for the organizational decal. Code 35 -4- LSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns 4/ 5
H.F. _____ section 321.34(13) sets forth the application process and 1 certain limitations for nonprofit organizations and decal 2 designs. 3 Under current law, an owner of a vehicle who places any frame 4 around or over a registration plate which does not permit full 5 view of all numerals and letters printed on the registration 6 plate, including the name of the county printed on the bottom 7 of the plate, commits a simple misdemeanor punishable by a 8 scheduled fine of $30. Under the bill, a registration plate 9 frame is no longer required to permit full view of the name of 10 the county. 11 -5- LSB 2559YC (1) 91 th/ns 5/ 5