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{As Amended by Senate Committee of the Whole}
As Amended by Senate Committee
Session of 2026
HOUSE BILL No. 2553
By Committee on Transportation
Requested by Representative Helgerson
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AN ACT concerning motor vehicles; relating to distinctive license plates;
providing for the PBS Kansas PBS license plate {; discontinuing the
issuance of certain distinctive and educational institution license
plates; amending K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,141 and 8-1,142 and
repealing the existing sections}.
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Kansas:
{New } Section 1. (a) On and after January 1, 2027, any owner or
lessee of one or more passenger vehicles or trucks registered for a gross
weight of 20,000 pounds or less who is a resident of Kansas, upon
compliance with the provisions of this section, may be issued one PBS
Kansas PBS license plate for each such passenger vehicle or truck. Such
license plate shall be issued for the same time as other license plates upon
proper registration and payment of the regular license fee as provided in
K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments thereto, and the payment to the county
treasurer of the logo use royalty payment.
(b) Kansas public telecommunications service, incorporated,
broadcasting council may authorize the use of the organization's logo to
be affixed on license plates as provided by this section. Any motor vehicle
owner or lessee shall pay an amount of not less than $25 nor more than
$100, as determined by Kansas public telecommunications service,
incorporated broadcasting council, as a logo use royalty payment for each
such license plate to be issued. The logo use royalty payment shall be paid
to the county treasurer.
(c) Any applicant for a license plate authorized by this section may
make application for such license plate not less than 60 days prior to such
person's renewal of registration date, on a form prescribed and furnished
by the director of vehicles, and any applicant for such license plate shall
pay to the county treasurer the logo use royalty payment. Application for
registration of a passenger vehicle or truck and issuance of the license
plate under this section shall be made by the owner or lessee in a manner
prescribed by the director of vehicles upon forms furnished by the director.
(d) No registration or license plate issued under this section shall be
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transferable to any other person.
(e) The director of vehicles may transfer a PBS Kansas PBS license
plate from a leased vehicle to a purchased vehicle.
(f) Renewals of registration under this section shall be made annually,
upon payment of the fee prescribed in K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments
thereto, and in the manner prescribed in K.S.A. 8-132(b), and amendments
thereto. No renewal of registration shall be made to any applicant until
such applicant provides to the county treasurer the annual royalty payment.
If such annual royalty payment is not made to the county treasurer, the
applicant shall be required to comply with the provisions of K.S.A. 8-143,
and amendments thereto, and return the license plate to the county
treasurer of such person's residence.
(g) Kansas public telecommunications service, incorporated
broadcasting council, with the approval of the director of vehicles, shall
design a plate to be issued under the provisions of this section.
(h) As a condition of receiving the PBS Kansas PBS license plate and
any subsequent registration renewal of such license plate, the applicant
shall consent to the division authorizing the division's release of motor
vehicle record information, including the applicant's name, address,
royalty payment amount, plate number and vehicle type , to Kansas public
telecommunications service, incorporated, broadcasting council and the
state treasurer.
(i) The collection and remittance of annual royalty payments by the
county treasurer shall be subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 8-1,141(h),
and amendments thereto, except that payments from the Kansas PBS
royalty fund shall be made on a monthly basis to the Kansas public
broadcasting council. The Kansas public broadcasting council shall
distribute royalty payments to the Kansas public television stations based
on the zip codes established through the PBS national streaming
geofencing system to determine which Kansas public television station
covers the area in which the motor vehicle is registered.
{Sec. 2. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,141 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 8-1,141. (a) (1) (A) Except as provided in paragraph (2), any
new distinctive license plate authorized for issuance on and after July 1,
1994, shall be subject to the personalized license plate fee prescribed by
K.S.A. 8-132(d), and amendments thereto. This section
(B) Subsections (a)(1)(A), (b)(2), (f) and (g) shall not apply to any
distinctive license plate authorized prior to July 1, 1994.
(2) On and after January 1, 2025, Any distinctive license plate may
be a personalized license plate subject to the provisions of K.S.A. 8-132,
and amendments thereto. Any personalized distinctive license plate shall
be subject to a fee that is double the amount prescribed by K.S.A. 8-
132(d), and amendments thereto.
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(b) (1) (A) On July 1, 202 7, the director of vehicles shall discontinue
the issuance of every distinctive license plate that was established by law
10 or more years prior to July 1, 2027.
(B) On and after July 1, 2028, the director of vehicles shall
discontinue the issuance of every distinctive license plate after 10 years
from the year that the distinctive license plate was established by law.
(C) The provisions of this paragraph shall not apply to the distinctive
plate issued under the provisions of K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,226, and
amendments thereto.
(2) The director of vehicles shall not issue any new distinctive
license plate unless there is a guarantee of an initial issuance of at least
250 license plates and subject to the limitations set forth in paragraph (1).
(c) The provisions of this section subsections (a), (b)(2), (f) and (g)
shall not apply to distinctive license plates issued under the provisions of
K.S.A. 8-177d, 8-1,145, 8-1,163, 8-1,166, 8-1,185, 8-1,186, 8-1,187, 8-
1,188, 8-1,194, 8-1,195, 8-1,196, 8-1,197, 8-1,198, 8-1,199, 8-1,204 or 8-
1,205, and amendments thereto, or K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,221 or 8-
1,222, and amendments thereto, except that such distinctive license
plates may be personalized license plates pursuant to subsection (a)(2) if
an applicant pays the personalized license plate fee prescribed by K.S.A.
8-132(d), and amendments thereto.
(d) The provisions of subsection (a) shall not apply to distinctive
license plates issued under the provisions of K.S.A. 8-1,146, 8-1,148, 8-
1,153, 8-1,158 or 8-1,161, and amendments thereto, except that such
distinctive license plates may be personalized license plates pursuant to
subsection (a)(2) if an applicant pays the personalized license plate fee
prescribed by K.S.A. 8-132(d), and amendments thereto.
(e) The provisions of subsection (f) shall not apply to distinctive
license plates issued under the provisions of K.S.A. 8-1,160 and 8-1,183,
and amendments thereto, and K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,211 and 8-1,219 ,
and amendments thereto, except that the division shall delay the
manufacturing and issuance of such distinctive license plate until the
division has received not fewer than 100 orders for such plate, including
payment of the personalized license plate fee required under subsection
(a). Upon certification by the director of vehicles to the director of
accounts and reports that not less than 100 paid orders for such plate
have been received, the director of accounts and reports shall transfer
$4,000 from the state highway fund to the distinctive license plate fund.
(f) (1) Any person or organization sponsoring any distinctive
license plate authorized by the legislature shall submit to the division of
vehicles a nonrefundable amount not to exceed $5,000, to defray the
division's cost for developing such distinctive license plate.
(2) All moneys received under this subsection shall be remitted by
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the secretary of revenue to the state treasurer in accordance with the
provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of
each such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount
in the state treasury to the credit of the distinctive license plate fund
which is hereby created in the state treasury. All moneys credited to the
distinctive license plate fund shall be used by the department of revenue
only for the purpose associated with the development of distinctive
license plates. All expenditures from the distinctive license plate
application fee fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation
acts, upon warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued
pursuant to vouchers approved by the secretary of the department of
revenue.
(g) The director of vehicles shall discontinue the issuance of any
distinctive license plate if:
(1) Fewer than 250 plates, including annual renewals, are issued
for that distinctive license plate by the end of the second year of sales;
and
(2) fewer than 125 license plates, including annual renewals, are
issued for that distinctive license plate during any subsequent two-year
period.
(h) An application for any distinctive license plate issued and the
corresponding royalty fee may be collected either by the county treasurer
or the entity benefiting from the issuance of the distinctive license plate.
Annual royalty payments collected by the county treasurers shall be
remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with the provisions of
K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. Upon receipt of each such
remittance the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in the state
treasury to the credit of a segregated royalty fund which shall be
administered by the state treasurer. All expenditures from the royalty
fund shall be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon
warrants of the director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to
vouchers approved by the state treasurer or the state treasurer's
designee. Payments from the royalty fund shall be made to the entity
benefiting from the issuance of the distinctive license plate on a monthly
basis.
(i) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, For any distinctive
license plate, the division shall produce such distinctive license plate for
a motorcycle upon request to the division by the organization sponsoring
the distinctive license plate.
(j) In addition to any residency requirements for all distinctive
license plates, any person not a resident of Kansas, serving as a member
of the armed forces stationed in this state shall be eligible to apply for
any distinctive license plate as if the individual was a resident of this
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state. Such person shall be eligible to renew the distinctive license plate
registration as long as the person is still stationed in this state at the time
the registration is renewed.
Sec. 3. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,142 is hereby amended to read as
follows: 8-1,142. (a) As used in this section, "educational institution"
means:
(1) Any state educational institution under the control and
supervision of the state board of regents;
(2) any municipal university;
(3) any not-for-profit independent institution of higher education
that is accredited by an accrediting agency or association recognized by
the United States department of education in the database maintained by
such department, is operated independently and not controlled or
administered by the state or any agency or subdivision thereof,
maintains open enrollment and the main campus or principal place of
operation of which is located in Kansas;
(4) any community college organized and operating under the laws
of this state; and
(5) Haskell Indian Nations university.
(b) Any owner or lessee of one or more passenger vehicles, trucks
registered for a gross weight of not more than 20,000 pounds or
motorcycles, who is a resident of Kansas, upon compliance with the
provisions of this section, may be issued one educational institution
license plate for each such passenger vehicle, truck or motorcycle. Such
license plates shall be issued for the same period of time as other license
plates upon proper registration and payment of the regular license fee as
provided in K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments thereto, plus the payment of
an additional fee of $5 for each plate, and either the payment to the
county treasurer of the logo use royalty payment established by the
alumni association or foundation or the presentation of the annual
emblem use authorization statement provided for in subsection (c).
(c) Any educational institution may authorize through its officially
recognized alumni association or foundation the use of such
institution's official emblems to be affixed on license plates as provided
by this section. Any royalty payment derived from this section, except
reasonable administrative costs, shall be used for recognition of
academic achievement or excellence subject to the approval of the
chancellor or president of the educational institution. Any motor vehicle
owner or lessee may annually apply to the alumni association or
foundation for the use of the institution's emblems. Upon annual
application and payment to either: (1) The alumni association or
foundation in an amount of not less than $25 nor more than $100 as an
emblem use royalty payment for each educational institution license
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plate to be issued, the alumni association or foundation shall issue to the
motor vehicle owner or lessee, without further charge, an emblem use
authorization statement, which shall be presented by the motor vehicle
owner or lessee at the time of registration; or (2) the county treasurer of
the logo use royalty payment for each license plate to be issued.
(d) Any applicant for an educational institution license plate may
make application for such plates not less than 60 days prior to such
person's renewal of registration date, on a form prescribed and
furnished by the director of vehicles, and any applicant for the
educational institution license plates shall provide either the annual
emblem use authorization statement provided for in subsection (c) or pay
to the county treasurer the logo use royalty payment established by the
alumni association or foundation. Application for registration of a
passenger vehicle, truck or motorcycle and issuance of the license plates
under this section shall be made by the owner or lessee in a manner
prescribed by the director of vehicles upon forms furnished by the
director.
(e) No registration or educational institution license plate issued
under this section shall be transferable to any other person.
(f) The director of vehicles may transfer educational institution
license plates from a leased vehicle to a purchased vehicle.
(g) Renewals of registration under this section shall be made
annually, upon payment of the fee prescribed in subsection (b), in the
manner prescribed in K.S.A. 8-132(b), and amendments thereto. No
renewal of registration shall be made to any applicant until such
applicant provides to the county treasurer either the annual emblem use
authorization statement provided for in subsection (c) or the payment of
the annual emblem use royalty payment established by the alumni
association or foundation. If such emblem use authorization statement is
not presented at the time of registration or faxed by the alumni
association or foundations, or the annual emblem use royalty payment is
not made to the county treasurer, the applicant shall be required to
comply with K.S.A. 8-143, and amendments thereto, and return the
educational institution license plates to the county treasurer of such
person's residence.
(h) The director of vehicles shall not issue any educational
institution license plates for any educational institution, unless such
educational institution's alumni association or foundation guarantees
the initial issuance of at least 100 license plates.
(i) The director of vehicles shall discontinue the issuance of an
educational institution's license plate authorized under this section if:
(1) Fewer than 100 educational institution license plates, including
annual renewals, are issued for an educational institution by the end of
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the second year of sales; and
(2) fewer than 50 educational institution license plates, including
annual renewals, are issued for an educational institution during any
subsequent two-year period.
(j) Each educational institution's alumni association or foundation
shall:
(1) Pay the initial cost of silk-screening for such educational
license plates; and
(2) provide to all county treasurers a toll-free telephone number
where applicants can call the alumni association or foundation for
information concerning the application process or the status of their
license plate application.
(k) Each educational institution's alumni association or
foundation, with the approval of the director of vehicles and subject to
the availability of materials and equipment, shall design a license plate
to be issued under the provisions of this section.
(l) As a condition of receiving the educational institution license
plate and any subsequent registration renewal of such plate, the
applicant shall provide consent to the division authorizing the division's
release of motor vehicle record information, including the applicant's
name, address, emblem use royalty payment amount, plate number and
vehicle type to the relevant educational institution and the state
treasurer.
(m) Annual royalty payments collected by county treasurers under
this section shall be remitted to the state treasurer in accordance with
the provisions of K.S.A. 75-4215, and amendments thereto. In the case
of an educational institution that is a state educational institution as
defined by K.S.A. 76-711, and amendments thereto, upon receipt of each
such remittance, the state treasurer shall deposit the entire amount in
the state treasury to the credit of the appropriate account of the
restricted fees fund of such state educational institution. In the case of
an educational institution that is not a state educational institution as
defined by K.S.A. 76-711, and amendments thereto, upon receipt of each
such remittance, the state treasurer shall remit the entire amount to the
educational institutions emblem royalty fund, which is hereby created in
the state treasury and shall be administered by the state treasurer. All
expenditures from the educational institutions emblem royalty fund shall
be made in accordance with appropriation acts upon warrants of the
director of accounts and reports issued pursuant to vouchers approved
by the state treasurer or the state treasurer's designee. Payments from
the educational institutions emblem royalty fund to the respective
educational institutions shall be made on a monthly basis.
(n) On and after July 1, 202 7, the director of vehicles shall
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HB 2553—Am. by SCW 8
discontinue the issuance of every license plate issued pursuant to this
section.
Sec. 4. K.S.A. 2025 Supp. 8-1,141 and 8-1,142 are hereby repealed.}
Sec. 2. {5.} This act shall take effect and be in force from and after its
publication in the statute book.
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