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24LSO-0535
2024
STATE OF WYOMING
24LSO-0535
Numbered
2.0
HOUSE BILL NO. HB0144
Suicide awareness and prevention license plate.
Sponsored by: Representative(s) Brown, Bear, Davis, Harshman, Knapp, Obermueller and Olsen and Senator(s) Driskill and Nethercott
A BILL
for
AN ACT relating to motor vehicle license plates; authorizing specially designed license plates to be issued to increase suicide awareness and prevention; specifying requirements; authorizing fees; providing for the termination of the issuance of the special plates; requiring a report upon termination; authorizing rulemaking; making a conforming amendment; specifying availability; and providing for an effective date.
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:
Section 1
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W.S. 31
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234 is created to read:
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2
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234.
Suicide awareness and prevention license plates.
(a)
Any person required to register a vehicle in Wyoming pursuant to this article may apply to the department for a statement of eligibility for suicide awareness and prevention license plates for any motor vehicle that is not a commercial vehicle or multipurpose vehicle owned or leased by that person upon registration of the vehicle. The department may include as part of the application the option for the applicant to donate one dollar ($1.00) or more to promote suicide awareness and prevention. Upon payment by the applicant of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) to the department, plus any additional voluntary amount of one dollar ($1.00) or more, the department shall issue a written statement of eligibility for suicide awareness and prevention license plates. The department shall assess an annual fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for a person to retain eligibility for suicide awareness and prevention license plates, but this annual fee shall not be charged in the year the person pays the one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) eligibility fee. The person may submit an additional voluntary amount of one dollar ($1.00) or more in support of suicide awareness and prevention when remitting the annual fee.
(b)
The fees collected under subsection (a) of this section shall be payable to the department and shall be accounted for separately. The fees collected under subsection (a) of this section shall be distributed to the 988 system trust fund account created by W.S. 35
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506 and are continuously appropriated for deposit and use as provided in W.S. 35
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506.
(c)
Applicants shall apply at least thirty (30) days before registration is required for the vehicle for which the plates are intended. Except as provided in this section, application for, issuance and renewal of suicide awareness and prevention license plates shall be subject to the same requirements and fees as provided in this article in addition to the fee collected under subsection (a) of this section. The license plate fees required under W.S. 31
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102(a)(viii) shall accompany each application. The license plates under this section shall be issued by the county treasurer of each county and shall be displayed only upon the vehicle for which they are issued.
(d)
The department shall prescribe the design of the suicide awareness and prevention license plates authorized by this section, which may include using a historic license plate. The suicide awareness and prevention license plates shall be the same size as regular motor vehicle license plates and need not include arabic numerals for the county but shall include arabic numerals for the United States national suicide prevention lifeline in the left
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hand end of the license plate followed by the distinctive number assigned to the vehicle. The department shall include a slogan and a distinctive symbol to increase suicide awareness and prevention. The department shall arrange for production of the license plates. Following initial approval, suicide awareness and prevention license plates shall be subject to redesign on the same schedule as all license plates beginning with the 2033 reissuance.
(e)
The department may prepare any special forms and issue any rules and regulations necessary to carry out this section.
(f)
Unless five hundred (500) sets of license plates are issued under this section before December 31, 2033, the plates authorized under this section shall be eliminated from production and not later than January 15, 2035 the department shall report the cessation of production to the joint transportation, highways and military affairs interim committee.
Section 2.
W.S. 31
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212 is amended to read:
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212.
Loss, mutilation or destruction of registration, plates or validation stickers.
Upon loss, mutilation or destruction of a certificate of registration, license plate, or validation sticker the owner of a vehicle may obtain a duplicate certificate of registration, new license plates or validation stickers from any county treasurer or the department if the vehicle was registered or plates or stickers were issued by the department upon application showing the loss, mutilation or destruction, return of mutilated plates or stickers and payment of the duplicate registration, plate or sticker fee. For those vehicles registered under the provisions of W.S. 31
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213(h), 31
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215 through 31
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223, 31
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226, 31
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2
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227 or 31
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229 through
31
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233
31
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234
replacement duplicate license plates may be obtained upon application with the county treasurer from which the original plates were purchased or the department if applicable, accompanied by fees as provided by W.S. 31
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102(a)(vi)(C). Duplicate license plates obtained under this section to replace lost or stolen plates shall not be displayed on the vehicle until the validation stickers on the lost or stolen plates have expired. Upon loss, mutilation or destruction of a dealer plate or validation sticker the dealer may obtain a replacement dealer plate or validation sticker from the county treasurer from which he purchased the original plate in the same manner as the owner of a vehicle and upon payment of the appropriate fee under W.S. 31
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102(a)(vi). Obtaining a replacement plate is not the purchase of an additional plate under W.S. 31
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125(b)(i). Upon application for new license plates or stickers the county treasurer shall notify the department and the county sheriff as soon as possible of the loss, mutilation or destruction. The department shall notify the appropriate law enforcement agencies of any loss, mutilation or destruction of license plates or stickers.
Section 3.
The department of transportation shall make suicide awareness and prevention license plates available beginning on January 1, 2025.
Section 4
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This act is effective July 1, 2024
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(END)
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HB0144