1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; allowing retired 
  1.3             firefighters to receive special firefighter license 
  1.4             plates; amending Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 
  1.5             168.12, subdivision 2b. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1994, section 168.12, 
  1.8   subdivision 2b, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 2b.  [FIREFIGHTERS; SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.] The 
  1.10  registrar shall issue special license plates to any applicant 
  1.11  who is both a member of a fire department receiving state aid 
  1.12  under chapter 69 and an owner or joint owner of a passenger 
  1.13  automobile, van, or pickup truck, Upon payment of a fee of $10 
  1.14  and upon payment of the registration tax required by law section 
  1.15  168.013 for the vehicle and compliance with other laws of this 
  1.16  state relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles 
  1.17  and drivers, the registrar shall issue special license plates to 
  1.18  an applicant who is both an owner or joint owner of a passenger 
  1.19  automobile, van, or pickup truck and either: 
  1.20     (1) a member of a fire department receiving state aid under 
  1.21  chapter 69; or 
  1.22     (2) a person who has retired after 20 years as a 
  1.23  firefighter from a fire department receiving state aid under 
  1.24  chapter 69. 
  1.25     (b) In lieu of the identification required under 
  2.1   subdivision 1, the special license plates shall be inscribed 
  2.2   with: 
  2.3      (1) a symbol of a Maltese Cross together with five numbers 
  2.4   for an applicant described in paragraph (a), clause (1); or 
  2.5      (2) a symbol of a Maltese Cross with the letter "R" 
  2.6   enclosed within it, together with five numbers for an applicant 
  2.7   described in paragraph (a), clause (2).  
  2.8      (c) No applicant shall receive more than two sets of plates 
  2.9   for vehicles owned or jointly owned by the applicant.  
  2.10     (d) Special plates issued under this subdivision may only 
  2.11  be used during the period that the owner or joint owner of the 
  2.12  vehicle is a member of a fire department as specified in this 
  2.13  subdivision person described in paragraph (a), clause (1) or (2).
  2.14  When the person to whom the special plates were issued is no 
  2.15  longer a member of a fire department meets that description or 
  2.16  when the vehicle ownership is transferred, the special license 
  2.17  plates shall be removed from the vehicle and returned to the 
  2.18  registrar.  Upon return of the special plates, the owner or 
  2.19  purchaser of the vehicle is entitled to receive regular plates 
  2.20  for the vehicle without cost for the remainder of the 
  2.21  registration period for which the special plates were issued. 
  2.22     (e) Firefighter license plates issued pursuant to this 
  2.23  subdivision may be transferred to another motor vehicle upon 
  2.24  payment of $5, which fee shall be paid into the state treasury 
  2.25  and credited to the highway user tax distribution fund.  
  2.26     (f) The commissioner of public safety may adopt rules under 
  2.27  the administrative procedure act, sections 14.001 to 14.69, to 
  2.28  govern the issuance and use of the special plates authorized in 
  2.29  this subdivision.  All fees from the sale of special license 
  2.30  plates for firefighters shall be paid into the state treasury 
  2.31  and credited to the highway user tax distribution fund.