An Act to authorize the issuance of special license plates for supporters of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) bearing the legend SAVING LIVES TOGETHER; fees.
HB811 authorizes the Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles to issue special license plates for supporters of the Richmond Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) with the slogan “SAVING LIVES TOGETHER.” Applicants must pay the standard special-plate fee structure and the bill establishes an additional annual fee of $25 for these plates.
The measure also creates a dedicated funding mechanism tied to plate sales. For each $25 fee collected above 1,000 registrations, $15 is deposited into a nonreverting special fund in the state treasury, the Saving Lives Together Fund, and then paid annually to the Richmond SPCA to support its operations and programs in Virginia. Remaining fees are retained by DMV to cover administrative costs associated with the program.
The bill amends Virginia law governing special license plates by adding a new plate series for Richmond SPCA supporters and by specifying the fee, distribution, and use of revenues generated by the plate program. It creates a special nonreverting fund within the Department of Accounts and directs a portion of proceeds to the Richmond SPCA, while allowing DMV to keep other fees to offset program expenses. The practical effect is to provide both a fundraising mechanism for the organization and a new optional specialty plate for motorists.
The available record shows no committee transcript or recorded votes, so there is no detailed debate history to indicate opposition or controversy. The bill’s enactment as chapter law suggests it moved forward successfully and was generally acceptable to lawmakers. Based on the text alone, the measure appears to have been a straightforward, noncontroversial specialty-plate bill with charitable support as its main purpose.
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Potential issues inherent in the bill would likely have centered on the use of DMV specialty plate fees, the creation of a dedicated fund, and whether a portion of proceeds should go to the Richmond SPCA versus administrative costs, but no opposition or competing viewpoints are recorded here.