| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to corporate license plates; creating s. |
| 3 | 320.08052, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Highway |
| 4 | Safety and Motor Vehicles to create the Corporate License |
| 5 | Plate Program and enter into certain agreements with |
| 6 | certain entities; requiring that corporate license plates |
| 7 | meet specified criteria and that certain aspects of such |
| 8 | license plates be approved by the department; authorizing |
| 9 | vehicle owners to apply for such license plates; requiring |
| 10 | that specified minimum fees be paid by applicants and |
| 11 | corporate sponsors for such applications; requiring that |
| 12 | the department, upon approval of an application, issue the |
| 13 | appropriate corporate plate to the vehicle owner along |
| 14 | with a registration and decal valid for a specified |
| 15 | period; providing for the distribution of fees collected; |
| 16 | authorizing corporate sponsors to participate in the |
| 17 | program by submitting a specified minimum initial |
| 18 | application fee; requiring that a corporate sponsor meet |
| 19 | specified eligibility requirements; requiring that the |
| 20 | department adopt rules; providing an effective date. |
| 21 |
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| 22 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 23 |
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| 24 | Section 1. Section 320.08052, Florida Statutes, is created |
| 25 | to read: |
| 26 | 320.08052 Corporate license plates.- |
| 27 | (1) The department is authorized to create a Corporate |
| 28 | License Plate Program. The department may enter into agreements |
| 29 | with any business entity, advertising firm, or for-profit |
| 30 | business that provides the department the required legal |
| 31 | documentation to use corporate logos on Florida license plates. |
| 32 | (2) The design of corporate license plates must be |
| 33 | approved by the department and must have the word "Florida" at |
| 34 | the top. Corporate license plates may be personalized as |
| 35 | provided in s. 320.0805 but must be approved by the corporate |
| 36 | sponsor and the department before issuance. |
| 37 | (3) A vehicle owner may apply for a corporate license |
| 38 | plate for any motor vehicle registered in the owner's name |
| 39 | weighing 7,999 pounds or less and also registered as a private- |
| 40 | use vehicle. Each application must be accompanied by an |
| 41 | application fee that is 50 percent less than the current |
| 42 | registration fee. The application by any vehicle owner for a |
| 43 | corporate license plate shall, upon acceptance, authorize the |
| 44 | department to provide the applicant's name and address to the |
| 45 | corporate sponsor in compliance with s. 119.0712(2). Upon |
| 46 | approval of the application, the corporate sponsor shall |
| 47 | immediately remit to the department a fee of no less than $75. |
| 48 | The department shall issue the appropriate corporate plate to |
| 49 | the vehicle owner, along with a registration and decal, and the |
| 50 | registration is valid for one registration period, which may not |
| 51 | exceed 15 months. All applicable registration fees authorized by |
| 52 | this chapter shall be distributed as provided in this chapter |
| 53 | from the proceeds of the fees paid pursuant to this subsection. |
| 54 | Excess revenues remaining after the distribution of all required |
| 55 | fees shall be deposited into the Highway Safety Operating Trust |
| 56 | Fund to fund the general operations of the department. |
| 57 | (4) Corporate sponsors may participate in the program by |
| 58 | submitting an initial application fee to the department of at |
| 59 | least $5,000 for the purchase of initial inventory. To be |
| 60 | eligible to participate in the program, a corporate sponsor must |
| 61 | provide evidence of the ability to pay $75 per vehicle owner for |
| 62 | a minimum of 5,000 vehicle owners. |
| 63 | (5) The department shall adopt rules to administer this |
| 64 | section. |
| 65 | Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2011. |