(625 ILCS 5/3-692)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2025)

Sec. 3-692. Soil and Water Conservation District Plates.

(a) In addition to any other special license plate, the Secretary, upon receipt of all applicable fees and applications made in the form prescribed by the Secretary of State, may issue Soil and Water Conservation District license plates. The special Soil and Water Conservation District plate issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division and motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Plates issued under this Section shall expire according to the staggered multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this Code.

(b) The design, color, and format of the plates shall be wholly within the discretion of the Secretary of State. Appropriate documentation, as determined by the Secretary, must accompany each application. The Secretary, in his or her discretion, shall approve and prescribe stickers or decals as provided under Section 3-412.

(c) An applicant for the special plate shall be charged a $40 fee for original issuance in addition to the appropriate registration fee. Of this fee, $25 shall be deposited into the Soil and Water Conservation District Fund and $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund, to be used by the Secretary to help defray the administrative processing costs. For each registration renewal period, a $27 fee, in addition to the appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this fee, $25 shall be deposited into the Soil and Water Conservation District Fund and $2 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund.

(d) The Soil and Water Conservation District Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. All money in the Soil and Water Conservation District Fund shall be paid, subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and distribution by the Secretary, as grants to Illinois soil and water conservation districts for projects that conserve and restore soil and water in Illinois. All interest earned on moneys in the Fund shall be deposited into the Fund. The Fund shall not be subject to administrative charges or chargebacks, such as but not limited to those authorized under Section 8h of the State Finance Act.

(e) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, on July 1, 2023, or as soon thereafter as practical, the State Comptroller shall direct and the State Treasurer shall transfer the remaining balance from the Soil and Water Conservation District Fund into the Partners for Conservation Fund. Upon completion of the transfers, the Soil and Water Conservation District Fund is dissolved, and any future deposits due to that Fund and any outstanding obligations or liabilities of that Fund shall pass to the Partners for Conservation Fund.

(f) This Section is repealed on January 1, 2025.

(Source: P.A. 103-8, eff. 6-7-23; 103-563, eff. 11-17-23.)