093_SB1502 LRB093 10963 DRH 11552 b 1 AN ACT concerning vehicles. 2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, 3 represented in the General Assembly: 4 Section 5. The State Finance Act is amended by adding 5 Section 5.595 as follows: 6 (30 ILCS 105/5.595 new) 7 Sec. 5.595. The Choose Life Fund. 8 Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by 9 adding Section 3-663 as follows: 10 (625 ILCS 5/3-663 new) 11 Sec. 3-663. Choose Life license plates. 12 (a) The Secretary, upon receipt of an application made 13 in the form prescribed by the Secretary, may issue special 14 registration plates designated as Choose Life license plates 15 to any person who wishes to demonstrate support of 16 organizations that encourage adoption as a positive choice 17 for women with unplanned pregnancies. The special plates 18 issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger 19 vehicles of the first division and motor vehicles of the 20 second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds. Plates 21 issued under this Section shall expire according to the 22 multi-year procedure established by Section 3-414.1 of this 23 Code. 24 (b) The Secretary shall confer with Illinois Choose 25 Life, Inc. of Illinois regarding the design, color, and 26 format of the plates, which shall carry the words "Choose 27 Life". The Secretary may allow the plates to be issued as 28 vanity plates or personalized plates under Section 3-405.1 of 29 this Code. The Secretary shall prescribe stickers or decals -2- LRB093 10963 DRH 11552 b 1 as provided under Section 3-412 of this Code. 2 (c) An applicant for the special plates shall be charged 3 a $25 fee for original issuance in addition to the 4 appropriate registration fee. Of this $25 fee, $10 shall be 5 deposited into the Choose Life Fund and $15 shall be 6 deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate 7 Fund, to be used by the Secretary to help defray the 8 administrative processing costs. 9 For each registration renewal period, a $25 fee, in 10 addition to the appropriate registration fee, shall be 11 charged. Of this $25 fee, $23 shall be deposited into the 12 Choose Life Fund and $2 shall be deposited into the Secretary 13 of State Special License Plate Fund. 14 (d) The Choose Life Fund is created as a special fund in 15 the State treasury. All moneys in the Choose Life Fund shall, 16 subject to appropriation by the General Assembly and approval 17 by the Secretary, be distributed on a pro-rated basis at the 18 beginning of each fiscal year to all non-governmental, 19 not-for-profit agencies whose services include counseling and 20 meeting the physical needs of pregnant women who are 21 committed to placing their children for adoption. No moneys 22 may be distributed to organizations described in subsection 23 (f) of this Section. Moneys shall be distributed in direct 24 proportion to the number of "Choose Life" registrations and 25 renewals attributable to each county. Any unused moneys in 26 excess of 10% of the moneys allocated to a non-profit 27 organization shall be returned to the Choose Life Fund at the 28 end of the fiscal year to be aggregated and distributed with 29 the next fiscal year's distributions. 30 (e) To apply for and receive moneys available through 31 the Choose Life Fund, an organization must deliver to the 32 Secretary an affidavit signed by a duly appointed 33 representative of the organization that states the following: 34 (1) The organization is a non-profit organization; -3- LRB093 10963 DRH 11552 b 1 (2) The organization does not discriminate for any 2 reason, including but not limited to race, marital 3 status, gender, religion, national origin, handicap, or 4 age; 5 (3) The organization is committed to counseling 6 pregnant women about the option of adoption; 7 (4) The organization is not involved or associated 8 with any abortion activities, including counseling for or 9 referrals to abortion clinics, providing medical 10 abortion-related procedures, or pro-abortion advertising; 11 (5) The organization does not charge women for any 12 services received; 13 (6) The organization understands that no more than 14 60% of the moneys received may be used for the material 15 needs of pregnant women who are committed to placing 16 their children for adoption, including clothing, housing, 17 medical care, food, utilities, and transportation. These 18 moneys may also be expended on infants awaiting placement 19 with adoptive parents. 20 (7) The organization understands that no more than 21 40% of the moneys received may be used to enhance its 22 adoption efforts, including counseling, training, or 23 advertising; 24 (8) The organization understands that these moneys 25 may not be used for administrative expenses, legal 26 expenses, or capital expenditures; 27 (9) The organization understands that any unused 28 moneys at the end of the fiscal year that exceed 10% of 29 the moneys received by the organization during the fiscal 30 year must be returned to the Choose Life Fund to be 31 aggregated and distributed with the next fiscal year's 32 distribution; and 33 (10) The organization understands that each 34 organization that receives moneys must submit to an -4- LRB093 10963 DRH 11552 b 1 annual audit of those moneys verifying that the moneys 2 received were used in the manner described in this 3 Section. 4 (f) Moneys in the Choose Life Fund may not be 5 distributed to any organization involved or associated with 6 any abortion activities, including counseling for or 7 referrals to abortion clinics, providing medical 8 abortion-related procedures, or pro-abortion advertising. 9 Moneys may not be distributed to any organization that 10 charges women for services received. 11 (g) No more than 60% of the moneys received from the 12 Choose Life Fund may be used for the material needs of 13 pregnant women who are committed to placing their children 14 for adoption, including clothing, housing, medical care, 15 food, utilities, and transportation. These moneys may also be 16 expended on infants awaiting placement with adoptive parents. 17 No more than 40% of the moneys received may be used to 18 enhance the organization's adoption efforts, including 19 counseling, training, or advertising. These moneys may not be 20 used for administrative expenses, legal expenses, or capital 21 expenditures. 22 (h) Each organization that receives moneys from the 23 Choose Life Fund must submit to an annual audit of those 24 moneys verifying that the moneys received were used in the 25 manner described in this Section. 26 Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect upon 27 becoming law.