AN ACT

 

1Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
2Statutes, further providing for special registration plates<- 
3generally and for personal registration plates; providing for 
4personal organization registration plates and for Appalachian 
5Trail organization registration plates; and making editorial 
6changes. in registration of vehicles, further providing for<- 
7lost, stolen, damaged or illegible registration plate and for 
8special registration plates generally; providing for personal 
9organization registration plates and for Appalachian Trail 
10organization registration plates; in financial 
11responsibility, further providing for required financial 
12responsibility; <-in fees, further providing for personal 
13registration plates; in rules of the road in general, further 
14providing for maximum speed limits; and, in size, weight and 
15load, further providing for conditions of permits and 
16security for damages.

17The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
18hereby enacts as follows:

19Section 1. Sections 1333(b.1) and 1341 of Title 75 of the
20Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes are amended to read:

21§ 1333. Lost, stolen, damaged or illegible registration plate.

22* * *

1(b.1) Illegible registration plate.--The department may
2reissue a registration plate upon request by a registrant when
3it is determined by an authorized representative of the
4department or law enforcement that the registration plate is
5illegible from a reasonable distance. The department may select
6the style of the reissued registration plate and, except in the
7case of personal registration plates issued under section 1341
8(relating to special registration plates [generally]), the
9registration plate number.

10* * *

11§ 1341. Special registration plates [generally].

12(a) General rule.--Upon request by the applicant, the
13department may issue registration plates consisting of any
14combination of numbers, letters or numbers and letters. [These
15special plates may be issued for special groups or for special
16purposes and bear an appropriate designation. Special groups may
17charge a fee for authorization to request a registration plate
18bearing the name of the group.] They shall have the same force
19and effect as regular registration plates. The department may
20refuse any combination of letters and numbers for cause and
21shall adopt reasonable rules and regulations for the issuance of
22the plates and for carrying out the provisions of this section.
23The applicant shall comply with all laws and regulations
24pertaining to registration including the payment of any
25additional fees.

26(b) Personal registration plates.--Upon request by the 
27applicant, the department is authorized to issue personal 
28registration plates. The department is authorized to reissue a
29combination of numbers or letters for a personal plate if the
30department records reveal that no activity, such as renewal or

1transfer of the personal registration plate, has occurred for a
2period of five or more consecutive years and provided that the
3personal registration plate was never reported as lost or
4stolen. Whenever the department reissues an inactive personal
5plate, the department may purge its records of all references to
6the previous owners of that personal plate. The department
7shall, however, note upon its records the reissuance of the
8personal plate and to whom the plate was issued. [The special] A 
9personal registration plate may be used only on a passenger car
10[or], motorcycle, truck<-, with a registered gross weight of not
11more than [10,000] 14,000 pounds, motorcycle, trailer or motor 
12home.

13(c) Organization registration plates.--Upon request by the 
14applicant, the department is authorized to issue organization 
15registration plates. Organization registration plates may be 
16issued for special groups or for special purposes and bear an 
17appropriate designation. Special groups may charge a fee for 
18authorization to request a registration plate bearing the name 
19of the group. If the vehicle is licensed to a business that is
20not a member of the special group, the department shall issue
21the plate as long as the business owner or officer making
22application is a member of that group. An organization 
23registration plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck, 
24with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds<-, 
25trailer or a motor home.

26Section 2. Title 75 is amended by adding sections to read:

27§ 1341.1. Personal organization registration plates.

28(a) General rule.--The department may, upon application of
29any person and upon payment of the additional fee under this
30section, issue a personal organization registration plate to

1applicants for special registration plates authorized in this
2chapter.

3(b) Additional fee.--

4(1) The department shall collect an additional fee of
5$100 for personal organization registration plates issued
6under subsection (a).

7(2) For any personal plate issued under sections 1338
8(relating to person with disability plate and placard) and
91342 (relating to veteran plates and placard), the department
10shall collect only an additional fee of $50.

11§ 1352.1. Appalachian Trail organization registration plates.

12(a) General rule.--The department, in consultation with the
13Appalachian Trail Conservancy, shall design a special
14Appalachian Trail organization registration plate. The plate, at
15a minimum, shall contain the image of a hiker and the
16Appalachian Trail Conservancy logo and distinctive coloring.
17The Appalachian Trail Conservancy may charge a fee for the
18authorization to request the registration plate. Upon request by
19the applicant, the department shall issue the plate for a
20passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not
21more than 14,000 pounds or a motor home. The fee provided under
22section 1931 (relating to special registration plates) shall
23apply.

24(b) Proceeds.--It is the intent of the General Assembly that
25proceeds received by the Appalachian Trail Conservancy under
26this section are to be used exclusively for trail maintenance
27and improvement.

28Section 3. Sections 1786(h)(2) and 1931 of Title 75 <-are 
29amended to read: Sections 1786(d)(1.1) and (h)(2), 1931, <-3362(a)
30(1.1) and 4962(f.3) introductory paragraph of Title 75, amended
 

1or added November 25, 2013 (P.L.974, No.89), are amended to 
2read:

3§ 1786. Required financial responsibility.

4* * *

<-5(d) Suspension of registration and operating privilege.--

6* * *

7(1.1) In lieu of serving a registration suspension or 
8operating privilege suspension, or both, imposed under this
9section, an owner or registrant may pay to the department a
10civil penalty of $500, the restoration fee prescribed under
11section 1960 and furnish proof of financial responsibility in
12a manner determined by the department. An owner or registrant
13may exercise this option no more than once in a 12-month
14period.

15* * *

16(h) Reinstatement of voluntarily surrendered registration
17plate and card.--

18* * *

19(2) Any registration plate issued under sections 1340
20(relating to antique and classic plates) and 1341 (relating
21to [personal plate] special registration plates) shall be
22returned by the department to the owner of the motor vehicle
23upon receipt of proof of financial responsibility.

24* * *

<-25§ 1931. [Personal] Special registration plates.

26The fee for issuance of a [personal] special registration
27plate shall be $20 which shall be in addition to the annual
28registration fee. Only one payment of the issuance fee shall be
29charged for each [personal] special registration issued or
30replaced.

1§ 1931. [Personal] Special registration plates.<-

2The fee for issuance of a [personal] special registration
3plate shall be $76 which shall be in addition to the annual
4registration fee. Only one payment of the issuance fee shall be
5charged for each [personal] special registration issued or
6replaced.

7§ 3362. Maximum speed limits.

8(a) General rule.--Except when a special hazard exists that
9requires lower speed for compliance with section 3361 (relating
10to driving vehicle at safe speed), the limits specified in this
11section or established under this subchapter shall be maximum
12lawful speeds and no person shall drive a vehicle at a speed in
13excess of the following maximum limits:

14* * *

15(1.1) 65 miles per hour or 70 miles per hour for all
16vehicles on freeways where the department has posted a 65-
17miles-per-hour or 70-miles-per-hour speed limit.

18* * *

19§ 4962. Conditions of permits and security for damages.

20* * *

21(f.3) Additional authorized travel periods.--[With respect
22to oversized vehicles (over-length, over-width or over-height)]
23Except as otherwise provided under this title, a permitted
24vehicle, combination or load which is oversized (over-length, 
25over-width or over-height), overweight or both oversized and 
26overweight may operate under a permit from sunrise to sunset
27every day of the week, except as follows:

28* * *

29Section 4. This act shall take effect in 120 days.<- as 
30follows:

1(1) The amendment of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1786(d)(1.1) shall 
2take effect January 1, 2015.

3(2) The following provisions shall take effect
4immediately:

5(i) The amendment of 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 3362(a)(1.1) and
64962(f.3).

7(ii) This section.

8(3) The remainder of this act shall take effect in 120
9days.