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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2015 - 2016
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | September 21, 2017 02:28 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Michele Brooks |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Doubling Donation Level for Veterans Trust Fund on Two-Year Vehicle Registrations |
| I hope you will join me in offering legislation to allow Pennsylvanians who are renewing their vehicle registration for a two-year period to double their contribution to the Veterans Trust Fund from the annual $3 amount set in law, to $6. The Vehicle Code requires PennDOT to place the $3 Veterans Trust Fund (VTF) donation check-off on the registration renewal coupon. The Fund now faces a potential loss in VTF donations if registrants opt for the two-year registration renewal and also opt to donate only once every two years instead of every year. The VTF was established in 2012 and issues grants to statewide charitable organizations that assist veterans, veterans service organizations and county directors of veterans affairs, who then aid veterans in need of shelter, food, heat and other necessities of living. Thus far, PennDOT data shows that, since the optional biennial registration was placed on the registration renewal coupon beginning in January 2017, about 20 percent of Pennsylvania motorists chose to renew every two years. The total number of one-year renewals for January through July 2017 was 5,149,183. The total number of two-year renewals for January through July 2017 was 1,061,649. According to PennDOT, for fiscal year 2015, PennDOT collected $1,150,062 in VTF donations. For fiscal year 2016, $1,210,002 was collected --an increase of $59,950 (+5.21%) from FY 15 to FY 16. We hope that this trajectory is not reversed by the move to a two-year registration process. By encouraging motorists to double their donation to $6 when they renew for a two-year process, we hope to keep this revenue stream for veterans in need growing. Thank you for considering this important bill and supporting charitable donations for Pennsylvania’s veterans. |
Introduced as SB945