PRIOR PRINTER'S NO. 2029 PRINTER'S NO. 2769
No. 1592 Session of 1997
INTRODUCED BY GEIST, OLASZ, B. SMITH, CAWLEY, BAKER, BATTISTO,
BEBKO-JONES, BELFANTI, DeLUCA, FAIRCHILD, FARGO, GORDNER,
HERSHEY, LAUGHLIN, LYNCH, MAJOR, MASLAND, McCALL, McILHATTAN,
HESS, READSHAW, SAINATO, SANTONI, SAYLOR, SCHULER, SHANER,
STERN, TIGUE, TRAVAGLIO, YOUNGBLOOD, BELARDI, MELIO, SATHER,
STABACK, TRELLO, WOJNAROSKI, EGOLF, SEYFERT, MILLER, ZUG,
HARHART, CIVERA, PISTELLA, BARD AND EACHUS, JUNE 11, 1997
AS REPORTED FROM COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, HOUSE OF
REPRESENTATIVES, AS AMENDED, JANUARY 20, 1998
AN ACT
1 Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2 Statutes, providing FOR REISSUANCE OF NEW REGISTRATION PLATES <--
3 ON A PERIODIC BASIS, for a special youth hunter and angler
4 education registration plate, for the Youth Hunter and Angler
5 Education Fund and for expenditures from that fund and for
6 the issuance of additional personal registration plates.
7 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
8 finds and declares as follows:
9 Conserving our State's natural and wildlife resources is one
10 of the most important responsibilities we have to this and
11 future generations of this Commonwealth.
12 Hunters and anglers were among the first to realize this
13 responsibility nearly 100 years ago when they saw firsthand how
14 expanding civilization and unregulated exploitation has caused
15 disastrous declines in wildlife population throughout this
16 Commonwealth.
17 Hunters and anglers took steps to reverse this trend of
1 exploitation, helping found the conservation movement,
2 supporting laws to stop the uncontrolled exploitation of
3 wildlife and helping establish game and fish laws and
4 enforcement and management practices.
5 Hunters and anglers also suggested and supported laws to
6 establish special hunting and fishing license fees and special
7 taxes on their equipment to pay for conservation programs.
8 Junior hunter and angler youth conservation programs
9 supported and financed by this Commonwealth's hunters and
10 anglers have benefited hundreds of wildlife species by teaching
11 our children the ethics of the great outdoors.
12 As individuals and through their organizations, hunters and
13 anglers volunteer countless hours of their time and money for
14 local youth conservation programs.
15 The Commonwealth recognizes the importance of junior
16 conservation programs and the need for additional funding to
17 ensure that these programs continue to educate our youth on the
18 importance of our wildlife resources.
19 The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
20 hereby enacts as follows:
21 Section 1. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated <--
22 Statutes is amended by adding sections to read:
23 SECTION 1. THE HEADING OF SECTION 1331 OF TITLE 75 OF THE <--
24 PENNSYLVANIA CONSOLIDATED STATUTES IS AMENDED AND THE SECTION IS
25 AMENDED BY ADDING A SUBSECTION TO READ:
26 § 1331. ISSUANCE AND REISSUANCE OF REGISTRATION PLATES.
27 * * *
28 (F) PERIODIC REISSUANCE OF REGISTRATION PLATES.--WITHIN SIX
29 MONTHS OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION, THE DEPARTMENT
30 SHALL DEVELOP, IMPLEMENT AND ADMINISTER A PROGRAM TO PROVIDE FOR
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1 THE PERIODIC REISSUANCE OF ALL CURRENT REGISTRATION PLATES
2 PREVIOUSLY ISSUED UNDER THE AUTHORITY OF THE DEPARTMENT. THE
3 PROGRAM TO BE ESTABLISHED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL ADDRESS ALL
4 OF THE FOLLOWING CRITERIA:
5 (1) OTHER THAN THE ANNUAL REGISTRATION FEE REQUIRED
6 UNDER SECTION 1305 (RELATING TO APPLICATION FOR
7 REGISTRATION), SECTION 1309 (RELATING TO RENEWAL OF
8 REGISTRATION) AND SUBCHAPTER B OF CHAPTER 19 (RELATING TO
9 REGISTRATION FEES), THE REISSUED REGISTRATION PLATE SHALL BE
10 ISSUED FREE OF CHARGE.
11 (2) PLATES ISSUED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SECTIONS
12 1341 (RELATING TO PERSONAL PLATE), 1345 (RELATING TO SPECIAL
13 PLATES FOR RECIPIENTS OF THE MEDAL OF HONOR), 1346 (RELATING
14 TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR RECIPIENTS OF PURPLE HEART), 1348
15 (RELATING TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR PEARL HARBOR SURVIVORS), 1350
16 (RELATING TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR VETERANS OF KOREAN WAR), 1351
17 (RELATING TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR VETERANS OF PERSIAN GULF
18 WAR), 1352 (RELATING TO WILD RESOURCE CONSERVATION PLATE),
19 1353 (RELATING TO PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE REGISTRATION PLATE),
20 1354 (RELATING TO FLAGSHIP NIAGARA COMMEMORATIVE REGISTRATION
21 PLATE), 1355 (RELATING TO ZOOLOGICAL PLATE), 1356 (RELATING
22 TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR RECIPIENTS OF EXPEDITIONARY FORCES
23 MEDAL), 1357 (RELATING TO SPECIAL PLATES FOR WORLD WAR II
24 VETERANS) AND 1358 (RELATING TO DARE PLATE) SHALL BE REISSUED
25 WITH THE SAME ALPHA NUMERICAL COMBINATION AS CURRENTLY ISSUED
26 UPON REQUEST OF A VEHICLE OWNER.
27 (3) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE THAT ALL CURRENT
28 REGISTRATION PLATES ISSUED PRIOR TO 1987 BE REPLACED WITHIN
29 ONE YEAR OF THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS SUBSECTION. THE
30 PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE THAT THE DEPARTMENT ESTABLISH A
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1 SCHEDULE FOR REISSUANCE OF ALL OTHER REGISTRATION PLATES ON A
2 STAGGERED BASIS.
3 (4) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE THAT AT THE END OF A 10-
4 YEAR CYCLE NO REGISTRATION PLATE ISSUED UNDER THE AUTHORITY
5 OF THE DEPARTMENT MAY BE OLDER THAN 10 YEARS.
6 (5) THE PROGRAM SHALL PROVIDE FOR THE RETURN OF AND THE
7 RECYCLING OF THE OLDER REGISTRATION PLATES.
8 (6) THE PROGRAM MAY CONTAIN ANY OTHER CONDITIONS,
9 LIMITATIONS, CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENTS OR OTHER FACTORS WHICH
10 THE DEPARTMENT DEEMS NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THIS SUBSECTION.
11 SECTION 2. TITLE 75 IS AMENDED BY ADDING SECTIONS TO READ:
12 § 1360. Youth hunter and angler education plate.
13 The department, in consultation with the Youth Hunter and
14 Angler Education Board, shall design a special youth hunter and
15 angler education plate. Upon application of any person,
16 accompanied by a fee of $35 which shall be in addition to the
17 annual registration fee, the department shall issue the plate
18 for a passenger car, motor home, trailer or truck with a gross
19 vehicle weight rating of not more than 9,000 pounds.
20 § 1361. Personal special registration plates.
21 (a) General rule.--Subject to the same standards and
22 restrictions under section 1341 (relating to personal plate),
23 the department, may upon application of any person and upon
24 payment of the additional fee under this section, issue a
25 personal special registration plate to applicants for special
26 plates under this chapter.
27 (b) Additional fee.--
28 (1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), the
29 department shall collect an additional fee of up to $300 for
30 any personal plate issued under subsection (a).
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1 (2) For any personal plate issued under section 1352
2 (relating to wild resource conservation plate), 1353
3 (relating to preserve our heritage registration plate) or
4 1354 (relating to Flagship Niagara commemorative registration
5 plate) or where a special fund is specified under section
6 1905 (relating to payments to special funds), the department
7 shall retain one-half of the fee and one-half of the fee
8 shall be deposited in the appropriate funds as provided in
9 sections 1352, 1353, 1354 and 1905.
10 (3) For any personal plate issued under sections 1338
11 (relating to handicapped plate and placard), 1342 (relating
12 to veteran plates and placard) and 1347 (relating to hearing
13 impaired plates), the department shall only collect an
14 additional fee of $20.
15 Section 2 3. Section 1905 of Title 75 is amended by adding a <--
16 subsection to read:
17 § 1905. Payments to special funds.
18 * * *
19 (d) Youth Hunter and Angler Education Fund.--
20 (1) Fifteen dollars of each fee received under section
21 1360 (relating to youth hunter and angler education plate)
22 shall be credited to the Youth Hunter and Angler Education
23 Fund.
24 (2) There is established a special account in the
25 Treasury Department which shall be known as the Youth Hunter
26 and Angler Education Fund. The purpose of the Youth Hunter
27 and Angler Education Fund is to assist this Commonwealth's
28 nonprofit sportsmen's clubs, Commonwealth natural resource
29 agencies and other organizations in conducting youth field
30 days, conservation schools and other related hunter or
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1 trapper or angler youth education programs which are approved
2 by the Youth Hunter and Angler Education Board.
3 (3) All moneys in the Hunter and Angler Youth Education
4 Fund are annually appropriated, subject to the approval of
5 the Governor, to the Department of Conservation and Natural
6 Resources and shall be expended for the purposes authorized
7 under this subsection.
8 (4) The State Treasurer shall not honor any requisition
9 for expenditures by the Department of Conservation and
10 Natural Resources in excess of estimates approved by the
11 Governor or in excess of the amount available for the
12 purposes for which the requisition was made, whichever is the
13 lesser amount.
14 (5) (i) A 15-member Youth Hunter and Angler Education
15 Board must approve all education programs and projects.
16 (ii) The board members are as follows:
17 (A) The Secretary of Conservation and Natural
18 Resources.
19 (B) The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania
20 Fish and Boat Commission.
21 (C) The Executive Director of the Pennsylvania
22 Game Commission.
23 (D) The chairman and the minority chairman of
24 the Game and Fisheries Committee of the Senate and
25 the chairman and the minority chairman of the Game
26 and Fisheries Committee of the House of
27 Representatives.
28 (E) One designee of the Governor.
29 (F) One representative for each of the following
30 organizations appointed by the Governor:
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1 (I) The Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania.
2 (II) The United Bowhunters of Pennsylvania.
3 (III) The National Rifle Association.
4 (IV) The Pennsylvania Chapter of the
5 National Wild Turkey Federation.
6 (V) The Pennsylvania Chapter of Trout
7 Unlimited.
8 (VI) The Pennsylvania Sportsmen for Youth.
9 (VII) The Pennsylvania Federation of
10 Sportsmen's Clubs.
11 (iii) The chairmanship of the board will rotate on
12 an annual basis among the members.
13 (iv) All members of the board may appoint a designee
14 to serve in their absence.
15 Section 3 4. This act shall take effect as follows: <--
16 (1) THE AMENDMENT OF 75 PA.C.S. § 1331 SHALL TAKE EFFECT <--
17 IN 60 DAYS.
18 (1) (2) The addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1905(d) shall take <--
19 effect in 30 days.
20 (2) (3) This section shall take effect immediately. <--
21 (3) (4) The addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1361 shall take <--
22 effect upon the publication by the Department of
23 Transportation of a notice in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.
24 (4) (5) The remainder of this act shall take effect in <--
25 six months.
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