As Passed by the House 1
123rd General Assembly 4
Regular Session Am. H. B. No. 225 5
1999-2000 6
REPRESENTATIVES 8
SYKES-KRUPINSKI-BENDER-BRITTON-CLANCY-OLMAN-ROBINSON-
GOODING-DAMSCHRODER-SULLIVAN-DePIERO-PATTON-R. MILLER- 9
SMITH-DISTEL-REDFERN-OGG-PERRY-LOGAN-CATES-SCHULER-HOLLISTER- 10
WOMER BENJAMIN-BARNES-TIBERI-J. BEATTY-TERWILLEGER- 11
WILLAMOWSKI-ROMAN-VERICH-METELSKY-SALERNO 12
_________________________________________________________________ 13
A B I L L
To amend section 4503.99 and to enact section 15
4503.471 of the Revised Code to create a special 16
International Association of Firefighters license 17
plate.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO: 19
Section 1. That section 4503.99 be amended and section 21
4503.471 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows: 22
Sec. 4503.471. (A) ANY PERSON WHO IS A FIREFIGHTER WHO 25
ALSO IS A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL
ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS MAY APPLY TO THE REGISTRAR OF MOTOR 26
VEHICLES FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ANY PASSENGER CAR, NONCOMMERCIAL 27
VEHICLE, MOTOR HOME, OR OTHER VEHICLE OF A CLASS APPROVED BY THE 28
REGISTRAR THE PERSON OWNS AND THE ISSUANCE OF INTERNATIONAL 29
ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES. THE APPLICATION 31
SHALL BE ACCOMPANIED BY THE WRITTEN EVIDENCE THAT THE REGISTRAR 32
MAY REQUIRE BY RULE SHOWING THAT THE PERSON IS A FIREFIGHTER WHO 33
IS A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 34
FIREFIGHTERS. THE APPLICATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 35
FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES MAY BE COMBINED WITH A REQUEST FOR A 36
SPECIAL RESERVED LICENSE PLATE UNDER SECTION 4503.40 OR 4503.42 37
OF THE REVISED CODE.
2
UPON RECEIPT OF AN APPLICATION FOR REGISTRATION OF A 39
VEHICLE UNDER THIS SECTION AND PRESENTATION OF SATISFACTORY 41
EVIDENCE SHOWING THAT THE PERSON IS A FIREFIGHTER AND A MEMBER IN 42
GOOD STANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS, 43
THE REGISTRAR SHALL ISSUE TO THE APPLICANT THE APPROPRIATE 45
VEHICLE REGISTRATIONS, SETS OF LICENSE PLATES AND VALIDATION 46
STICKERS, OR VALIDATION STICKERS ALONE WHEN REQUIRED BY SECTION 47
4503.191 OF THE REVISED CODE. 49
IN ADDITION TO THE LETTERS AND NUMBERS ORDINARILY INSCRIBED 52
ON THE LICENSE PLATES, INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS 53
LICENSE PLATES SHALL BE INSCRIBED WITH A MALTESE CROSS EMBLEM 55
DESIGNED BY THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS AND 56
APPROVED BY THE REGISTRAR. INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 57
FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES SHALL BEAR COUNTY IDENTIFICATION 59
STICKERS THAT IDENTIFY THE COUNTY OF REGISTRATION BY NAME OR
NUMBER. 60
THE LICENSE PLATES AND VALIDATION STICKERS SHALL BE ISSUED 63
UPON PAYMENT OF THE REGULAR LICENSE FEE AS PRESCRIBED UNDER 64
SECTION 4503.04 OF THE REVISED CODE, PAYMENT OF ANY LOCAL MOTOR 65
VEHICLE TAX LEVIED UNDER CHAPTER 4504. OF THE REVISED CODE, AND 67
PAYMENT OF AN ADDITIONAL FEE OF TEN DOLLARS FOR THE PURPOSE OF 69
COMPENSATING THE BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES FOR ADDITIONAL SERVICES 70
REQUIRED IN THE ISSUING OF LICENSE PLATES UNDER THIS SECTION. IF 71
THE APPLICATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS 72
LICENSE PLATES IS COMBINED WITH A REQUEST FOR A SPECIAL RESERVED 73
LICENSE PLATE UNDER SECTION 4503.40 OR 4503.42 OF THE REVISED 74
CODE, THE LICENSE PLATE AND VALIDATION STICKER SHALL BE ISSUED 75
UPON PAYMENT OF THE FEES AND TAXES CONTAINED IN THIS DIVISION AND 76
THE ADDITIONAL FEE PRESCRIBED UNDER SECTION 4503.40 OR 4503.42 OF
THE REVISED CODE. THE REGISTRAR SHALL DEPOSIT THE ADDITIONAL FEE 77
OF TEN DOLLARS IN THE STATE BUREAU OF MOTOR VEHICLES FUND CREATED 79
BY SECTION 4501.25 OF THE REVISED CODE. 80
THE CHIEF OF A FIRE DEPARTMENT OR THE FIRE CHIEF 83
IMMEDIATELY SHALL NOTIFY THE REGISTRAR WHENEVER ANY PERSON UNDER 84
3
THE CHIEF'S SUPERVISION NO LONGER IS EMPLOYED AS A FIREFIGHTER,
EXCEPT THAT THE NOTIFICATION NEED NOT BE MADE WHEN THE PERSON 85
RETIRES FROM THE PROFESSION OF FIREFIGHTING. 86
WHENEVER A PERSON NO LONGER IS ELIGIBLE TO BE ISSUED 88
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES, THE 89
PERSON SHALL SURRENDER THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 90
FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES TO THE BUREAU IN EXCHANGE FOR LICENSE 91
PLATES WITHOUT THE MALTESE CROSS EMBLEM DESCRIBED IN THIS 92
SECTION. A FEE OF THREE DOLLARS AND FIFTY CENTS SHALL BE CHARGED 94
FOR THE SERVICES REQUIRED IN THE ISSUING OF REPLACEMENT PLATES 95
WHEN A PERSON NO LONGER IS ELIGIBLE TO BE ISSUED INTERNATIONAL 96
ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES.
A PERSON MAY MAKE APPLICATION FOR INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION 98
OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES AT ANY TIME OF YEAR, AND THE 100
REGISTRAR SHALL ISSUE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS 101
LICENSE PLATES AND REPLACEMENT PLATES AT ANY TIME OF YEAR.
(B) NO PERSON WHO IS NOT A FIREFIGHTER AND A MEMBER IN 103
GOOD STANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS 104
SHALL WILLFULLY AND FALSELY REPRESENT THAT THE PERSON IS A 105
FIREFIGHTER AND A MEMBER IN GOOD STANDING OF THE INTERNATIONAL 106
ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OBTAINING 107
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES UNDER 108
THIS SECTION. NO PERSON SHALL OWN A VEHICLE BEARING 109
INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES UNLESS 111
THE PERSON IS ELIGIBLE TO BE ISSUED INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF 112
FIREFIGHTERS LICENSE PLATES. 114
(C) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "FIREFIGHTER" MEANS ANY 117
PERSON WHO IS ACTIVELY ENGAGED IN THE PROFESSION OF FIREFIGHTING 118
AND, FOR THE PURPOSES OF RENEWING THE REGISTRATION OF A MOTOR 119
VEHICLE FOR WHICH INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF FIREFIGHTERS 120
LICENSE PLATES PREVIOUSLY HAVE BEEN ISSUED UNDER THIS SECTION, 121
INCLUDES ANY PERSON WHO IS RETIRED FROM THE PROFESSION OF 122
FIREFIGHTING.
Sec. 4503.99. (A) Whoever violates section 4503.05, 131
4
4503.11, or 4503.12, division (A) of section 4503.182, section 132
4503.28, 4503.44, 4503.46, or 4503.47, DIVISION (B) OF SECTION 133
4503.471, or division (C), (D), or (E) of section 4503.066 of the 134
Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the fourth degree. 135
(B) Whoever violates division (H)(4) of section 4503.061, 137
or section 4503.19, 4503.21, or 4503.34 of the Revised Code is 139
guilty of a minor misdemeanor.
(C) Whoever violates division (B) of section 4503.182 of 141
the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the first degree. 142
(D) Whoever violates division (A) of section 4503.236 of 144
the Revised Code is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second degree. 145
(E) Whoever violates section 4503.30, division (B) of 147
section 4503.301, or section 4503.32 of the Revised Code is 148
guilty of a misdemeanor of the third degree. 149
(F)(1) Whoever violates division (B) of section 4503.033 151
of the Revised Code shall be fined one thousand dollars. 153
(2) Whoever violates division (C) of section 4503.033 of 155
the Revised Code shall be fined ten thousand dollars. 156
Section 2. That existing section 4503.99 of the Revised 158
Code is hereby repealed. 159