00                             HOUSE BILL NO. 217                                                                          
01 "An Act relating to special request registration plates commemorating the arts; and                                     
02 relating to the Alaska State Council on the Arts."                                                                      
03 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                                
04    * Section 1. AS 28.10.181(u) is amended to read:                                                                   
05            (u)  Special request plates commemorating the arts. Upon application by the                                  
06       owner of a motor vehicle, the department may issue registration plates                                            
07       commemorating the arts. The commissioner, after consulting with the Alaska State                                  
08       Council on the Arts, shall determine the design and color of plates commemorating the                             
09       arts. The commissioner shall choose a new design for the plates commemorating                                 
10       the arts every four years and discontinue issuance of the previous design. The                                
11       department may disapprove the issuance of registration plates under this subsection                               
12       when the requested plates are a duplication of an existing registration.                                          
13    * Sec. 2. AS 28.10.421(d)(15) is amended to read:                                                                  
14                 (15)  special request plates commemorating the arts .......... $50 [$150]                           
01       plus the fee required for that vehicle under (b), (c), (h), or (i) of this section; the fee                       
02       required by this paragraph shall be collected only on the first issuance and the                              
03       replacement of the special request plates [BIENNIALLY IN THE SAME                                             
04       MANNER AS THE FEE REQUIRED UNDER (b), (c), (h), OR (i) OF THIS                                                    
05       SECTION]; the commissioner of administration shall separately account for the fees                                
06       received under this paragraph that the department deposits in the general fund;                                   
07       notwithstanding (g) of this section, the annual estimated balance in the account that is                          
08       in excess of the cost of issuing special request plates may be appropriated by the                                
09       legislature for the support of programs benefiting the arts;                                                      
10    * Sec. 3. AS 44.27 is amended by adding a new section to read:                                                     
11            Sec. 44.27.070. Competition for the design of the special request plate                                    
12       commemorating the arts. The council shall hold a competition every four years to                                
13       select a design for the special request plate commemorating the arts under                                        
14       AS 28.10.181(u). The council shall select a panel of judges to judge the submissions                              
15       for the contest and shall include the previous design winner on the panel. The panel                              
16       shall select the top submissions, and the council shall conduct a public vote to                                  
17       determine the winner of the competition. The council shall use the winning design                                 
18       when consulting with the commissioner of administration under AS 28.10.181(u).                                    
19    * Sec. 4. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to                          
20 read:                                                                                                                   
21       TRANSITION. The Alaska State Council on the Arts shall hold the first design                                      
22 competition within one year after the effective date of this Act.