As Introduced

127th General Assembly
Regular Session
2007-2008
H. B. No. 293


Representative Goodwin 

Cosponsors: Representatives McGregor, J., Wachtmann, Yuko, Evans, Reinhard, Latta, Huffman, Peterson, Chandler, Dodd, Seitz, Stebelton, Fende, Sayre, Hughes 



A BILL
To enact sections 901.90 and 4503.503 of the Revised 1
Code to create "Ohio Agriculture" license plates 2
and to create the Ohio Agriculture License Plate 3
Scholarship Program.4


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1. That sections 901.90 and 4503.503 of the Revised 5
Code be enacted to read as follows:6

       Sec. 901.90. (A) There is hereby created in the state 7
treasury the Ohio agriculture license plate scholarship fund 8
consisting of the contributions the registrar of motor vehicles 9
receives pursuant to section 4503.503 of the Revised Code. Money 10
shall be expended from the fund only as provided in division (C) 11
of this section.12

       (B)(1) There is hereby created the Ohio agriculture license 13
plate scholarship fund board, consisting of the director of 14
agriculture or the director's designee and one representative 15
appointed by each of the following organizations:16

       (a) The Ohio agriculture council;17

       (b) The Ohio corngrowers association;18

       (c) The Ohio farm bureau federation;19

       (d) The Ohio soy association;20

       (e) The Ohio state university college of food, agricultural, 21
and environmental sciences;22

       (f) The Ohio young farmers association.23

       (2) All original appointments to the board shall be made not 24
later than ninety days after the effective date of this section, 25
and all vacancies shall be filled in the same manner as the 26
original appointment. Members of the board shall serve without 27
compensation but shall be reimbursed for the actual expenses they 28
incur in performing their duties. The director of agriculture or 29
the director's designee shall serve as chairperson. The board 30
shall adopt rules governing their meetings and proceedings.31

       (C) There is hereby established the Ohio agriculture license 32
plate scholarship program to benefit students who are enrolled in 33
a program of agricultural education at an Ohio land grant 34
institution. The board shall adopt rules governing all aspects of 35
the program, including any additional eligibility requirements, 36
the application process, scholarship amounts, and any requirements 37
a student must meet in order to retain a scholarship.38

       All decisions of the board relating to the scholarship 39
program, including the decision to award, renew, not renew, or 40
revoke a scholarship, are final.41

       Sec. 4503.503. (A) The owner or lessee of any passenger car, 42
noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other 43
vehicle of a class approved by the registrar of motor vehicles may 44
apply to the registrar for the registration of the vehicle and 45
issuance of "Ohio agriculture" license plates. The application for 46
"Ohio agriculture" license plates may be combined with a request 47
for a special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 48
4503.42 of the Revised Code. Upon receipt of the completed 49
application and compliance with division (B) of this section, the 50
registrar shall issue to the applicant the appropriate vehicle 51
registration and a set of "Ohio agriculture" license plates with a 52
validation sticker or a validation sticker alone when required by 53
section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.54

       In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed 55
thereon, "Ohio agriculture" license plates shall be inscribed with 56
words and markings selected and designed by the Ohio farm bureau 57
federation, in consultation with representatives of agricultural 58
commodity organizations of this state. The registrar shall approve 59
the final design. "Ohio agriculture" license plates shall bear 60
county identification stickers that identify the county of 61
registration by name or number.62

       (B) "Ohio agriculture" license plates and validation stickers 63
shall be issued upon payment of the regular license tax as 64
prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, any 65
applicable motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the 66
Revised Code, any applicable fee prescribed by section 4503.40 or 67
4503.42 of the Revised Code, a bureau of motor vehicles 68
administrative fee of ten dollars, the contribution specified 69
under division (C) of this section, and compliance with all other 70
applicable laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles.71

       (C) For each application for registration and registration 72
renewal received under this section, the registrar shall collect a 73
contribution of fifteen dollars. The registrar shall transmit this 74
contribution to the treasurer of state for deposit in the Ohio 75
agriculture license plate scholarship fund created in section 76
901.90 of the Revised Code.77

       (D) The registrar shall deposit the bureau administrative fee 78
of ten dollars specified in division (B) of this section, the 79
purpose of which is to compensate the bureau for the additional 80
services required in the issuing of the applicant's "Ohio 81
agriculture" license plates, into the state bureau of motor 82
vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised Code.83

       (E) Sections 4503.77 and 4503.78 of the Revised Code apply to 84
"Ohio agriculture" license plates, except that the number "one 85
thousand" specified in divisions (B)(1) and (2) of section 4503.77 86
of the Revised Code and in divisions (A) and (B) of section 87
4503.78 of the Revised Code is reduced to "five hundred" in each 88
instance regarding "Ohio agriculture" license plates.89