127th General Assembly

(As Introduced)

Reps. Goodwin, J. McGregor, Wachtmann, Yuko, Evans, Reinhard, Latta, Huffman, Peterson, Chandler, Dodd, Seitz, Stebelton, Fende, Sayre, Hughes

BILL SUMMARY

· Creates "Ohio Agriculture" license plates and requires the contributions paid by persons who obtain the license plates to be deposited into the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Fund, which the bill also creates.

· Creates the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Program and the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Fund Board, and places the Program under the control of the Board.

· Requires the Board to award scholarships from the Fund to students who are enrolled in a program of agricultural education at an Ohio land grant institution.

CONTENT AND OPERATION

"Ohio Agriculture" license plates

Under the bill, the owner or lessee of any passenger car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, or other vehicle of a class approved by the Registrar of Motor Vehicles may apply for issuance of "Ohio Agriculture" license plates. The application for "Ohio Agriculture" license plates may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate under current law. Upon receipt of the completed application and compliance by the applicant with the bill's requirements, the Registrar is required to issue to the applicant the appropriate vehicle registration and a set of "Ohio Agriculture" license plates with a validation sticker or a validation sticker alone when required by current law.

In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed on the license plates, "Ohio Agriculture" license plates are required to be inscribed with words and markings selected and designed by the Ohio Farm Bureau Federation in consultation with representatives of agricultural commodity organizations of this state. The Registrar is required to approve the final design. "Ohio Agriculture" license plates must display county identification stickers that identify the county of registration by name or number. (R.C. 4503.503(A).)

"Ohio Agriculture" license plates and validation stickers are to be issued upon payment of the regular license tax as prescribed in current law; any applicable local motor vehicle license tax; any applicable additional special reserved license plate fee; a Bureau of Motor Vehicles $10 administrative fee; a contribution of $15; and compliance with all other applicable laws relating to motor vehicle registration (R.C. 4503.503(B) and (C)).

The Registrar must collect the BMV fee and the $15 contribution for every new and renewal registration application received under the bill. The Registrar is required to transmit the contributions to the Treasurer of State for deposit in the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Fund, which the bill creates. (R.C. 4503.503(C).)

The Registrar is required to deposit the $10 BMV administrative fee, which is to compensate the Bureau for the additional services required in issuing "Ohio Agriculture" license plates, into the existing State Bureau of Motor Vehicles Fund (R.C. 4503.503(D)).

Modification of the minimum registration requirement generally applicable to special license plates

Under current law, certain enumerated special license plates and generally all special license plates created since October 21, 1997, are subject to a minimum registration requirement and to termination and revival procedures. For example, the Registrar is not required to implement any legislation that creates a new license plate until the Registrar receives written statements from at least 1,000 persons indicating that they intend to apply for and obtain the special license plate. (R.C. 4503.78, not in the bill.) If, during any calendar year, the total number of new and renewal motor vehicle registrations involving such a special license plate totals less than 1,000, the issuance of that special license plate may cease as of December 31 of the following year. The issuance of a special license plate that is thus ended may be revived if certain conditions are met. (R.C. 4503.77, not in the bill.) Under the bill, "Ohio Agriculture" license plates are subject to these provisions, except that the bill reduces the numerical thresholds in those provisions from 1,000 persons to 500 persons (R.C. 4503.503(E)).

Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Fund

The bill creates the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Fund Board, consisting of the Director of Agriculture or the Director's designee and one representative appointed by each of the following organizations:

(A) The Ohio Agriculture Council;

(B) The Ohio Corngrowers Association;

(D) The Ohio Soy Association;

(E) The Ohio State University College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences;

(F) The Ohio Young Farmers Association. (R.C. 901.90(B)(1).)

All original appointments to the Board must be made not later than 90 days after the bill's effective date, and all vacancies are filled in the same manner as the original appointment. Board members serve without compensation but are reimbursed for the actual expenses they incur in performing their duties. The Director of Agriculture or the Director's designee is the chairperson. The Board is required to adopt rules governing its meetings and proceedings. (R.C. 901.90(B)(2).)

The bill creates the Ohio Agriculture License Plate Scholarship Program to benefit students who are enrolled in a program of agricultural education at an Ohio land grant institution. The Board is required to adopt rules governing all aspects of the program, including any additional eligibility requirements, the application process, scholarship amounts, and any requirements a student must meet in order to retain a scholarship. All decisions of the Board relating to the scholarship program, including the decision to award, renew, not renew, or revoke a scholarship, are final. (R.C. 901.90(C).)

HISTORY

ACTION	DATE

Introduced	07-31-07

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