SB 543

This bill allows persons who are interested in supporting the Wisconsin Rocky

Mountain Elk Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, the Boy Scouts of America, nurses

and the nursing profession, or certain efforts of Midwest Athletes Against Childhood

Cancer to obtain special motor vehicle registration plates.

Under current law, members of certain designated special groups may obtain

special registration plates for certain vehicles, including automobiles and motor

homes, that are owned or leased by special group members. A fee, in addition to the

regular registration fee for the particular kind of vehicle, is charged for the issuance

or reissuance of most special plates.

This bill establishes designated special groups for persons interested in

obtaining special plates expressing support for the Wisconsin Rocky Mountain Elk

Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, the Boy Scouts of America, nurses and the

nursing profession, or the efforts of Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer to

fund childhood cancer and related blood disorder research. In addition to the regular

vehicle registration fee, special group members for each group are required to pay

a $15 fee for issuance or reissuance of the special plates and to annually include

payment of $25 that provides funds to the Wisconsin Rocky Mountain Elk

Foundation, Whitetails Unlimited, the Boy Scouts of America, the Wisconsin

Organization of Nurse Executives, or Midwest Athletes Against Childhood Cancer.

The bill requires the special plates to display a logo or symbol associated with the

respective group. The Department of Transportation (DOT) may not issue these

special plates until DOT has obtained authority to use any applicable trademark or

service mark associated with the group on these special plates and until DOT

receives a contribution from any interested person or group in the amount of the

initial costs of production of these special plates or $23,700, whichever is less. After

DOT begins issuing special plates to any of these groups, if DOT receives, for two

consecutive calendar years, fewer than 500 registration renewal applications for

vehicles displaying these special plates and three years have elapsed since DOT first

began issuing these special plates or since the previous assessment of the number

of renewal applications, DOT must cease issuing the special plates for that group.

Also under current law, the identifying letters or numbers (registration

number) appearing on special plates issued to special group members, including

personalized special plates, may not exceed six positions. This bill allows special

plates to have a registration number of up to seven positions.