SB1506 would amend the Illinois Vehicle Code to authorize the Secretary of State to issue special registration plates honoring the Dolly Parton Imagination Library. The plates could be issued for qualifying passenger vehicles, motorcycles, autocycles, and certain second-division vehicles weighing 8,000 pounds or less, and could also be offered as vanity or personalized plates if allowed by the Secretary.
The bill establishes a fee structure for the specialty plates. An applicant would pay a $35 original issuance fee in addition to the normal registration fee; $25 of that amount would go to The Dollywood Foundation and $10 would be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund. On each renewal, a $25 fee would be collected and sent to The Dollywood Foundation for use by the Dolly Parton Imagination Library of Illinois.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would create a new special license plate program in Illinois law and add a new section to the Vehicle Code. It would not change general vehicle registration requirements, but it would create a dedicated revenue stream from plate sales and renewals for The Dollywood Foundation and the Illinois Imagination Library program, while also supporting the Secretary of State’s special plate administration fund.
Sentiment
The available context suggests the bill is generally positive and noncontroversial in tone, as it is a commemorative and fundraising measure tied to a widely recognized early literacy program. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no evidence of formal opposition or debate in the available materials.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided record. Potential issues, if raised, would likely concern the use of a state license plate program to support a private foundation, the added cost to motorists who choose the plate, and whether the special plate program is the appropriate mechanism for funding the Imagination Library initiative.