To amend section 4501.21 and to enact section 4503.947 of the Revised Code to create the "Land of U.S. Grant" license plate.
Summary
HB731 creates a new Ohio specialty license plate called the "Land of U.S. Grant" plate. The bill authorizes owners or lessees of qualifying vehicles to apply for the plate, requires the usual registration fees, and adds a $20 contribution that is credited to the license plate contribution fund. It also imposes a $10 administrative fee to cover Bureau of Motor Vehicles costs associated with issuing the plate.
The bill also adds the new plate to Ohio’s broader specialty-plate contribution framework in section 4501.21, which directs plate-related contributions to a long list of designated nonprofit organizations, foundations, schools, historical groups, and other entities. The new "Land of U.S. Grant" contribution would be paid to the Land of U.S. Grant organization for its mission, and the registrar would distribute annual investment earnings from the fund proportionally to recipient entities based on prior-year receipts.
Impact
If enacted, HB731 would amend Ohio’s motor vehicle registration laws by creating a new specialty plate under section 4503.947 and by updating the license plate contribution fund statute in section 4501.21. It would affect vehicle registrants who choose the plate, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the designated recipient organization. The bill would also continue and expand the statutory system that routes specialty plate contributions to a wide range of charitable, educational, cultural, military, environmental, and school-related entities across the state.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee testimony or vote history in the provided materials, so the bill’s sentiment must be inferred from its content and status. As introduced and assigned to the House Transportation Committee, the measure appears noncontroversial on its face and consistent with Ohio’s established specialty license plate program. The bill’s purpose is largely commemorative and fundraising-oriented, which typically draws support from local or affiliated advocates rather than broad partisan debate.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the available transcripts or votes. Potential issues, based on the bill text alone, could include whether the specialty plate market is becoming too fragmented, whether the $20 contribution and $10 administrative fee are appropriate, and whether the named organization will receive enough participation to justify the plate. Because the bill also references a very large number of existing recipient organizations in the contribution fund statute, some observers could question the breadth of the specialty-plate program and the administrative complexity of managing so many earmarked distributions.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3517.12, 3517.13, and 3517.155 of the Revised Code to modify the Campaign Finance Law regarding foreign nationals and statewide initiatives and referenda and to declare an emergency.
To amend sections 3505.01 and 3505.10 of the Revised Code to modify the deadline for a political party to certify its nominees for President and Vice-President to the Secretary of State.
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