NOTE: The governor signed this measure on 5/29/2015. HOUSE BILL 15-1313 BY REPRESENTATIVE(S) Becker K., Ginal, Hamner, Pabon, Rosenthal, Ryden, Young, Hullinghorst; also SENATOR(S) Baumgardner, Heath, Kefalas, Kerr, Merrifield, Newell, Roberts, Todd. Concerning the creation of a Rocky Mountain National Park license plate to evidence that a vehicle has been registered, and, in connection therewith, making an appropriation. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado: SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, add 42-3-249 as follows: 42-3-249. Special plates - Rocky Mountain National Park. (1) Beginning the earlier of November 15, 2015, or when the department is able to issue the plates, the department shall issue special license plates to qualified applicants in accordance with this section for motorcycles, passenger cars, trucks, or noncommercial or recreational motor vehicles that do not exceed sixteen thousand pounds empty weight. (2) (a) There is hereby established the Rocky Mountain National Park license plate. The department may stop issuing the Rocky Mountain National Park license plate if three thousand license plates are not issued by July 1, 2020. A person who was issued a Rocky Mountain National Park license plate on or before July 1, 2020, may continue to use the license plate after July 1, 2020, regardless of whether the department stops issuing the special license plate. (b) The Rocky Mountain Conservancy may design the special license plate, but the plate must conform with standards established by the department. (3) (a) At least once every five years, the department shall designate an organization to qualify applicants to be issued the Rocky Mountain National Park license plate. The organization must: (I) Be based in Colorado; (II) Have been in existence for at least ten years; (III) Manage a conservation program for the benefit of the park; (IV) Help promote the stewardship of the park; (V) Fund trail building and maintenance within the park; (VI) Provide interns or volunteers to staff visitor centers or deliver education programs to visitors; and (VII) Have provided at least five hundred thousand dollars' worth of support annually to the park for the last five years. (b) A person may apply for a Rocky Mountain National Park license plate if the person pays the taxes and fees required under this section and provides to the department or an authorized agent a certificate issued by the organization chosen in accordance with this subsection (3) confirming that the applicant has made a donation to the organization. The organization may establish a minimum donation amount to qualify for the plate. The amount must neither be less than twenty-five dollars nor more than seventy-five dollars. The organization shall use the donation to support Rocky Mountain National Park in a manner specified by the national park service. (c) The organization chosen in accordance with this subsection (3) shall file with the department an annual statement verifying that it is a nonprofit organization unless the department stops issuing the license plate. (4) The amount of the taxes and fees for special license plates under this section are the same as the amount of the taxes and fees for regular motor vehicle license plates; except that the department shall collect an additional one-time fee of twenty-five dollars for issuance or replacement of the license plate. The department shall transmit the additional one-time fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit the fee to the highway users tax fund created in section 43-4-201, C.R.S. (5) An applicant may apply for personalized Rocky Mountain National Park license plates. Upon payment of the additional fee required by section 42-3-211 (6) (a) for personalized license plates, the department may issue the plates if the applicant complies with section 42-3-211. If an applicant has existing personalized license plates for a motor vehicle, the applicant may transfer the combination of letters or numbers to a new set of Rocky Mountain National Park license plates for the vehicle upon paying the fee required by section 42-3-211 (6) (a) and upon turning in the existing plates to the department. A person who has obtained personalized license plates under this subsection (5) shall pay the annual fee imposed by section 42-3-211 (6) (b) for renewal of the personalized plates. The fees under this subsection (5) are in addition to all other applicable taxes and fees. SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 42-3-312 as follows: 42-3-312. Special license plate surcharge. In addition to any other fee imposed by this article, an applicant for a special license plate created by rule in accordance with section 42-3-207, as the section existed when the plate was created, or license plates issued pursuant to sections 42-3-211 to 42-3-218, sections 42-3-221 to 42-3-234, and sections 42-3-237 to 42-3-247 42-3-249 shall pay an issuance fee of twenty-five dollars; except that the fee is not imposed on special license plates exempted from additional fees for the issuance of a military special license plate by section 42-3-213 (1) (b) (II). The department shall transfer the fee to the state treasurer, who shall credit it to the licensing services cash fund created in section 42-2-114.5. SECTION 3. Appropriation. (1) For the 2015-16 state fiscal year, $5,452 is appropriated to the department of revenue. This appropriation consists of $1,332 from the license plate cash fund created in section 42-3-301 (1) (b), C.R.S., and $4,120 from the Colorado state titling and registration account of the highway users tax fund created in section 42-1-211 (2), C.R.S. To implement this act, the department may use this appropriation as follows: (a) $1,332 from the license plate cash fund for license plate ordering; and (b) $4,120 from the Colorado state titling and registration account of the highway users tax fund for the purchase of information technology services. (2) For the 2015-16 state fiscal year, $4,120 is appropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology. This appropriation is from reappropriated funds received from the department of revenue under paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section. To implement this act, the office may use this appropriation to provide information technology services for the department of revenue. SECTION 4. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly (August 5, 2015, if adjournment sine die is on May 6, 2015); except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2016 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor. ________________________________________________________ Dickey Lee Hullinghorst Bill L. Cadman SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE PRESIDENT OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE ____________________________ ____________________________ Marilyn Eddins Cindi L. Markwell CHIEF CLERK OF THE HOUSE SECRETARY OF OF REPRESENTATIVES THE SENATE APPROVED________________________________________ _________________________________________ John W. Hickenlooper GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF COLORADO