(1) The department must review and either approve or reject special license plate applications submitted by sponsoring organizations. Except for special license plates created under chapter 385, Laws of 2025, the department may not issue any new special license plates until January 1, 2029, and therefore no applications for any new special license plates may be accepted until January 1, 2029. The department must prominently display this special license plate moratorium on its website.
(2) Duties of the department include, but are not limited to, the following:
(a) Review and approve the annual financial reports submitted by sponsoring organizations with active special license plate series and present those annual financial reports to the joint transportation committee;
(b) Report annually to the joint transportation committee on the special license plate applications that were considered by the department;
(c) Issue approval and rejection notification letters to sponsoring organizations, the executive committee of the joint transportation committee, and the legislative sponsors identified in each application. The letters must be issued within seven days of making a determination on the status of an application; and
(d) Review annually the number of plates sold for each special license plate series created after January 1, 2003. The department may submit a recommendation to discontinue a special plate series to the executive committee of the joint transportation committee.