House Bill 407, titled the Divine Nine Special Registration Plate Act, would create a new special registration plate for Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority and update North Carolina’s special plate statutes to include that plate in the state’s list of available designs. The bill also revises the fee schedule and fee-distribution tables for several existing Divine Nine-related plates, including Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, and the new Sigma Gamma Rho plate.
Under the bill, the Division of Motor Vehicles would issue the Sigma Gamma Rho plate with the sorority’s symbol, name, and motto, and collect the standard registration fee plus an additional special-plate fee. The bill directs how those additional fees are split among the Special Registration Plate Account and the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account, and it specifies quarterly transfers from the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account to designated affiliated nonprofit foundations for each of the listed organizations. The bill also authorizes the Revisor of Statutes to renumber and alphabetize the special plate provisions for consistency.
Impact
The bill would amend G.S. 20-79.4, G.S. 20-79.7, and G.S. 20-81.12 to add a new special plate category and to adjust fee amounts and fund distributions for certain existing special registration plates. Its practical effect is limited to motor vehicle registration administration and the flow of special-plate revenue within the Highway Fund structure, including the Special Registration Plate Account and the Collegiate and Cultural Attraction Plate Account. It would also create a new revenue stream for the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority National Education Fund, Inc., while preserving similar funding arrangements for other Divine Nine organizations named in the bill.
Sentiment
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the measure appears to be a routine, supportive recognition bill rather than a controversial policy proposal. The overall tone is affirmative toward the historically Black Greek-letter organizations involved, with the bill framed as an expansion and cleanup of existing special plate offerings. No formal opposition, amendments, or recorded vote history is included in the materials provided.
Contention
The main potential points of contention are administrative and fiscal rather than ideological: the bill changes how special-plate fees are allocated and adds a new plate to the DMV’s offerings, which could raise questions about fee levels, account distributions, and whether the state should continue expanding specialty plate programs. Another possible issue is the use of public registration systems to support private nonprofit foundations affiliated with specific organizations. However, no explicit objections, competing viewpoints, or recorded disputes appear in the provided transcripts or voting history.