To Authorize The Issuance Of A Special License Plate For The Make-a-wish Foundation Of The Mid South; And To Address The Inventory Of The Mid-south Community College Education Special License Plate.
Summary
HB1654 amends Arkansas’s Special License Plate Act of 2005 to create a new special license plate for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid South. The Department of Finance and Administration (DFA) is directed to design and issue the plate in consultation with the foundation, and the plate would be available for issuance and annual renewal under the state’s existing special-plate procedures. The bill also sets the fee structure for the plate: standard vehicle registration fees still apply, plus a $30 design-use contribution and a $10 handling and administrative fee.
The bill specifies that the $30 contribution must be remitted monthly to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid South and used exclusively to promote and support the organization. The $10 administrative fee goes to the State Central Services Fund for the benefit of DFA’s Revenue Division and is not treated as direct revenue to the division. In addition, the bill addresses the existing Mid-South Community College education special license plate by stopping the production of additional plates while allowing current inventory to continue to be issued and renewed until exhausted, after which the plate is treated as repealed for statutory purposes.
Impact
HB1654 adds a new special license plate program to Arkansas Code Title 27, Chapter 24, Subchapter 14, expanding the list of authorized specialty plates and creating a dedicated revenue stream for the Make-A-Wish Foundation of the Mid South. It also modifies the administration of an existing special plate by phasing out new production of the Mid-South Community College education plate while preserving use of existing stock until depleted. The bill affects DFA’s licensing and plate-production responsibilities, the foundation as a recipient of monthly contributions, and motorists who choose to purchase or renew the new specialty plate.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong bipartisan support and no recorded opposition: the bill passed the House 97-0 on third reading and the Senate 35-0 on third reading. With no committee transcript provided, the overall sentiment appears broadly favorable, consistent with a noncontroversial specialty-plate bill that supports a charitable organization and manages an existing plate inventory issue.
Contention
There is little visible contention in the record. The only substantive policy choices are the creation of a charitable specialty plate with a $30 contribution and the decision to stop printing additional Mid-South Community College education plates while allowing existing inventory to remain in circulation. Any potential concern would likely center on administrative handling of plate inventory and fee allocation, but the unanimous votes suggest these issues were not politically divisive.