Struck = removed from the bill ·
added = the amendment's new text.
House File 974 -H-1310 IntroducedAmend HOUSEHouse FILEFile 974 BYas COMMITTEEfollows: ON WAYS AND MEANS (SUCCESSOR TO HF 525) (SUCCESSOR TO HSB 144) (COMPANION TO SF 488 BY COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION) A BILL FOR An Act relating to vehicle registration plates, including registration plate frames and Gadsden flag special registration plates, providing fees, and making appropriations.
BE1. IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
TLSBPage 2559HZ1, (1)before 91line th/ns1 H.F.by inserting:
974<Section Section 1.
Section 321.34,190B.201, subsection 1, Code 2025, is amended byto addingread theas followingfollows: new subsection:
NEW1. SUBSECTION .
11E.An Iowa emergency food purchase program fund is established in the state treasury and shall be administered by the department of agriculture and land stewardship.
GadsdenThe flagfund plates.shall consist of moneys appropriated to the fund pursuant to section 602.8108, subsection 11, section 321.34, subsection 11E, and any other moneys appropriated to the fund.> 2.
a.Page 1, line 3, before <Gadsden> by inserting <Pride> 3.
UponPage application and payment of the proper fees, the director may issue Gadsden flag plates to the owner of a motor vehicle subject to registration under section 321.109, subsection 1, autocycle,line motor5, truck,before motor<Gadsden> home,by multipurposeinserting vehicle,<pride> motorcycle,4. trailer, or travel trailer.
b.Page 1, line 9, before <Gadsden> by inserting <Pride> 5.
GadsdenPage flag1, platesby striking lines 10 through 12 and inserting <The background shall beinclude designedsix bycolor-block stripes of equal height with red on the department.top followed in descending order by orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
The background shall be yellow at the top and bottom, with the color fading into white in the center.
The left side of the plate shallshall> depict6. a black and white rattlesnake coiled on green grass.
ThePage image1, depictingline the17, coiledbefore rattlesnake<Gadsden> shallby beinserting at<pride> least7. three inches tall and two inches wide.
ThePage phrase1, “Don’tline Tread18, onbefore Me”<Gadsden> shallby appearinserting at<pride> the8. bottom of the plate.
c.Page 1, line 19, before <Gadsden> by inserting <pride> 9.
ThePage special1, Gadsdenline flag21, feebefore for<Gadsden> letter-numberby designatedinserting Gadsden<pride> flag10. plates is fifty dollars.
AnBy applicantstriking maypage obtain1, personalizedline Gadsden29, flagthrough platespage upon2, paymentline of7, theand feeinserting for<under personalizedsection plates321.145, assubsection provided2, into subsectionthe 5,Iowa whichemergency isfood purchase program fund created in additionsection 190B.201, an amount equal to the special fees collected in the previous month for pride Gadsden flag fee.plates, minus ten percent per issuance or renewal of the plates that month.> 11.
PersonalizedPage plates2, authorizedline by13, thisbefore subsection<Gadsden> shallby beinserting limited<pride> to12. no more than five numerals, letters, or combinations of numerals and letters.
d.Page 2, line 16, before <Gadsden> by inserting <pride> 13.
ThePage fees2, collectedline by17, thebefore director<Gadsden> underby thisinserting subsection<pride> shall14. be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund.
ThePage treasurer of state shall transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund created under section 321.145, subsection 2, toline the18, generalbefore fund<Gadsden> ofby theinserting state<pride> an15. amount equal to the special fees collected in the previous month for Gadsden flag plates, minus one dollar per issuance or renewal of the plates that month.
SuchPage moneys2, areline appropriated21, tobefore the<Gadsden> departmentby ofinserting public<pride> safety16. to distribute in the form of grants to provide education and training on the right to keep and bear arms protected under LSB 2559HZ (1) 91 -1- th/ns 1/5 H.F.
974Page the2, Constitutionline of22, thebefore United<Gadsden> Statesby andinserting the<pride> Constitution17. of the State of Iowa, and training on firearm safety.
InPage the3, awardingline of5, grants,before the<Gadsden department> ofby publicinserting safety<pride> shallHF give974.1659 first(3) consideration91 to-1- anyth/ns official1/2 state18. association of the national rifle association and similar nonprofit organizations.
NotwithstandingPage section3, 8.33,line moneys12, appropriatedbefore under<Gadsden> thisby subsectioninserting shall<pride> not19. revert to the general fund of the state.
e.Title page, line 2, before <Gadsden> by inserting <pride> 20.
UponTitle receiptpage, oflines the3 specialand registration4, plates,by thestriking applicant<providing shallfees, surrenderand themaking currentappropriations> registrationand platesinserting to<and theproviding countyfees> treasurer.21.
TheBy countyrenumbering treasurer shall validate the special registration plates in the same manner as regularnecessary. registration plates are validated under this section.
The______________________________ annualMcBURNEY specialof GadsdenPolk flagHF fee974.1659 for(3) letter-number91 designated-2- platesth/ns is2/2 fifty dollars which shall be paid in addition to the regular annual registration fee.
The annual fee for personalized Gadsden flag plates is five dollars which shall be paid in addition to the annual special Gadsden flag fee and the regular annual registration fee.
The annual special Gadsden flag fee shall be credited as provided under paragraph “d”.
f.
The department shall not condition the issuance of Gadsden flag plates on the receipt of any number of orders for Gadsden flag plates.
Sec.
2.
Section 321.37, subsection 3, Code 2025, is amended to read as follows:
3.
It is unlawful for the The owner of a vehicle to shall not place any a frame around or over the a registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the registration plate, other than the name of the county .
Sec.
3.
Section 321.166, subsections 2 and 9, Code 2025, are amended to read as follows:
2.
Every registration plate or pair of plates shall display a registration plate number which shall consist of alphabetical or numerical characters or a combination thereof and the name of this state, which may be abbreviated.
Every registration LSB 2559HZ (1) 91 -2- th/ns 2/5 H.F.
974 plate issued by the county treasurer shall display the name of the county, including any plate issued pursuant to section 321.34, except Pearl Harbor and purple heart registration plates issued prior to January 1, 1997;
and collegiate, fire fighter, and medal of honor, and Gadsden flag registration plates.
Special truck registration plates shall display the word “special”.
The department may adopt rules to implement this subsection.
9.
Special registration plates issued pursuant to section 321.34, other than gold star, medal of honor, collegiate, fire fighter, natural resources, blackout, and flying our colors, and Gadsden flag registration plates, shall be consistent with the design and color of regular registration plates but shall provide a space on a portion of the plate for the purpose of allowing the placement of a distinguishing processed emblem or an organization decal.
Special registration plates shall also comply with the requirements for regular registration plates as provided in this section to the extent the requirements are consistent with the section authorizing a particular special vehicle registration plate.
EXPLANATION The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
This bill relates to vehicle registration plates.
The bill authorizes the department of transportation (DOT) to design and issue Gadsden flag special registration plates.
The bill requires the plate’s background to be yellow at the top and bottom, with the color fading into white in the center.
The plate’s numbers and letters must be black.
The left side of the plate must contain the image of a rattlesnake in black and white coiled on green grass.
The phrase “Don’t Tread on Me” must appear at the bottom of the plate.
The bill provides that the special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated Gadsden flag plates is $50.
An applicant may obtain personalized Gadsden flag plates upon LSB 2559HZ (1) 91 -3- th/ns 3/5 H.F.
974 payment of the $25 fee for personalized plates set forth under current law, which is in addition to the special Gadsden flag fee.
Personalized Gadsden flag plates are limited to five numerals and letters.
The annual special Gadsden flag fee for letter-number designated plates is $50, which is in addition to the regular annual registration fee.
The annual fee for personalized Gadsden flag plates is $5, which is in addition to the annual special Gadsden flag 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 (RUTF).
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 the Gadsden flag plates, minus $1 per issuance or renewal of the plates that month.
Such moneys are appropriated to department of public safety (DPS) to distribute in the form of grants to provide education and training on the right to keep and bear arms, and training on firearm safety.
In the awarding of grants, DPS must give first consideration to any official state association of the national rifle association and similar nonprofit organizations.
The bill prohibits the DOT from conditioning the issuance of Gadsden flag plates on the receipt of any number of orders for Gadsden flag plates.
Gadsden flag plates are exempt from the general requirements to display the name of the county that issues the plates and to be consistent with the design and color of regular registration 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 LSB 2559HZ (1) 91 -4- th/ns 4/5 H.F.
974 section 321.34(13) sets forth the application process and certain limitations for nonprofit organizations and decal designs.
Under current law, an owner of a vehicle who places any frame around or over a registration plate which does not permit full view of all numerals and letters printed on the registration plate, including the name of the county printed on the bottom of the plate, commits a simple misdemeanor punishable by a scheduled fine of $30.
Under the bill, a registration plate frame is no longer required to permit full view of the name of the county.
LSB 2559HZ (1) 91 -5- th/ns 5/5