HB 347 directs the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to create a new specialty license plate for Miami Dade College. The plate must follow the department’s approved design standards, include the word “Florida” at the top, and display “Miami Dade College” at the bottom or side.
The bill also establishes how the annual use fees from the plate will be handled: proceeds are to be distributed to the Miami Dade College Foundation and used to fund student scholarships. The act is scheduled to take effect on October 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill amends section 320.08058, Florida Statutes, by adding Miami Dade College to the list of authorized specialty license plates. It creates a new revenue stream tied to plate sales and directs those funds to the Miami Dade College Foundation for scholarship support, affecting both the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the college foundation.
Sentiment
No committee transcripts or vote history were provided, so there is no recorded debate or formal vote pattern to assess. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears straightforward and supportive of higher education, with a focus on fundraising for student scholarships through a specialty plate program.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues that sometimes arise with specialty plate bills include whether the plate will generate enough sales to justify development costs, how the design is approved, and whether the scholarship funding mechanism is the best use of annual use fees, but none of these concerns are shown in the available discussion or voting record.