Specialized license plates.

Existing law authorizes a state agency to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to sponsor a specialized license plate program and requires the DMV to issue those license plates if the sponsoring state agency meets certain requirements. Existing law requires the DMV to charge specified fees related to the issuance of those plates and to deposit the fees, less the DMV's costs, in the Specialized License Plate Fund. Existing law requires that moneys in the fund be allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the sponsoring agency in proportion to the amount that is attributable to the agency's specialized license plate program. Existing law authorizes the sponsoring agency to use these moneys to fund projects and programs that promote the state agency's official policy, mission, or work. This bill would require the Department of Veterans Affairs, in consultation with the State Treasurer, to apply to the DMV to sponsor specified historic state and federal motto license plate programs and would require the DMV to issue those specialized license plates for those programs if the Department of Veterans Affairs satisfies certain requirements. Notwithstanding the above-described provisions regarding fees for specialized license plates, the bill would require the additional fees for the issuance, renewal, or transfer of these specialized license plates to be deposited, after the DMV deducts its administrative costs, in a newly created fund, to be available upon appropriation by the Legislature for the purpose of funding specified veterans programs and services.