HB 2449 would create a new Arizona special license plate for “blood and biologics” donors and supporters. The bill authorizes the Department of Transportation to issue the plate if, by December 31, 2026, someone pays $32,000 to cover implementation costs. The person or entity paying that startup amount would also design the plate, subject to department approval, and the plate could be combined with a personalized plate request if the director allows it.
The bill sets the plate fee at $25, with $8 designated as a special plate administration fee and $17 treated as an annual donation. Those administration fees would go to the state highway fund, while the donation portion would be deposited into a newly created blood and biologics special plate fund. The fund would reimburse the initial $32,000 implementation payment first, then continuously appropriate the remaining money, with up to 10% used for administration each year. The director would annually distribute the fund’s money to a qualifying 501(c)(3) organization that connects blood and biologics donors with recipients, supports blood products and related medical services and research, and helps sponsor community blood drives and mobile bloodmobiles.
In addition to creating the plate and fund, the bill updates several existing statutes governing special plates and highway fund accounting to add the new plate category to lists of exempted special plates and to exclude its fees and donations from the definition of highway user revenues. It also amends the state highway fund statutes so that the special plate administration fees continue to support highway-related purposes, while the donation revenue is routed to the new dedicated fund rather than the highway fund. In practical terms, the bill would add a new donor-themed plate program and create a new revenue stream for a charitable blood and biologics-related entity.
The available context shows no committee transcripts, recorded votes, or formal opposition, so there is no documented debate to gauge broad sentiment. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears to be framed as a supportive, promotional special-plate bill intended to raise money and awareness for blood donation and biologics-related charitable work. Because it is a new specialty plate with a required startup payment and a dedicated fund, the likely policy focus is administrative and fiscal rather than controversial social policy.
The main potential points of contention are the $32,000 upfront implementation requirement, the use of a special plate as a fundraising mechanism, and the selection of the recipient 501(c)(3) organization that would receive annual allocations. Another possible issue is whether the bill’s fee structure and fund routing are appropriate uses of state special-plate authority and highway fund accounting. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the provided materials.
HB 2449 would amend Arizona’s vehicle code to add a new special license plate category for blood and biologics donors and supporters, and it would create a dedicated blood and biologics special plate fund. It also revises existing special-plate and highway-fund statutes to include the new plate in the list of authorized special plates and to direct the plate’s administration fees to the state highway fund while routing donation revenue to the new fund. The bill would affect the Department of Transportation, the state treasurer, and any qualifying nonprofit selected to receive annual fund allocations.
No committee discussion or vote history was provided, so there is no recorded legislative sentiment to summarize from debate or roll call. On its face, the bill is presented as a positive, charitable special-plate measure aimed at supporting blood and biologics donation efforts, suggesting a generally favorable framing. The absence of recorded opposition or amendments in the supplied materials means sentiment cannot be assessed beyond the bill’s supportive purpose.
The most likely areas of contention are fiscal and administrative rather than ideological: the bill requires a $32,000 private payment before the plate can be issued, allows the payer to design the plate subject to department approval, and creates a continuing fund that must be allocated to a qualifying 501(c)(3). Questions could also arise about whether the special-plate donation structure and the exclusion of these monies from highway-user revenue accounting are appropriate. No specific lawmakers, agencies, or stakeholder groups are identified as opposing or supporting the bill in the provided record.