SB2130 94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

LRB094 13812 RLC 48682 b

94TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2005 and 2006
SB2130

Introduced 10/19/2005, by Sen. Frank C. Watson

SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:

20 ILCS 1605/21.6
625 ILCS 5/3-664 new

Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Provides for the issuance of Iraqi Freedom license plates at an additional initial charge of $40 and an additional renewal charge of $27 with eligibility requirements to be determined by the Secretary of State. Provides that $15 of the initial charge and $2 of the renewal charge shall be paid into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $25 of the initial charge and $25 of the renewal charge shall be paid into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. Amends the Illinois Lottery Law. Provides that the moneys deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund from the sale of Iraqi Freedom license plates may, subject to appropriation, be used by the Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide grants to assist in the financial and educational support of minor and dependent children of veterans who died or were disabled in the line of duty.

FISCAL NOTE ACT MAY APPLY

A BILL FOR

AN ACT concerning vehicles.

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, represented in the General Assembly:

Section 5. The Illinois Lottery Law is amended by changing Section 21.6 as follows:

(20 ILCS 1605/21.6)

Sec. 21.6. Scratch-off for Illinois veterans.

(a) The Department shall offer a special instant scratch-off game for the benefit of Illinois veterans. The game shall commence on January 1, 2006 or as soon thereafter, at the discretion of the Director, as is reasonably practical. The operation of the game shall be governed by this Act and any rules adopted by the Department. If any provision of this Section is inconsistent with any other provision of this Act, then this Section governs.

(b) The Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund is created as a special fund in the State treasury. The net revenue from the Illinois veterans scratch-off game shall be deposited into the Fund for appropriation by the General Assembly solely to the Department of Veterans Affairs for making grants, funding additional services, or conducting additional research projects relating to:

(i) veterans' post traumatic stress disorder;

(ii) veterans' homelessness;

(iii) the health insurance costs of veterans;

(iv) veterans' disability benefits, including but not limited to, disability benefits provided by veterans service organizations and veterans assistance commissions or centers; and

(v) the long-term care of veterans.

Moneys collected from the special instant scratch-off game shall be used only as a supplemental financial resource and shall not supplant existing moneys that the Department of Veterans Affairs may currently expend for the purposes set forth in items (i-v).

Moneys received for the purposes of this subsection (b) Section, including, without limitation, net revenue from the special instant scratch-off game and from gifts, grants, and awards from any public or private entity, must be deposited into the Fund. Any interest earned on moneys in the Fund must be deposited into the Fund.

For purposes of this subsection (b), "net revenue" means the total amount for which tickets have been sold less the sum of the amount paid out in the prizes and the actual administrative expenses of the Department solely related to the scratch-off game under this Section.

(b-5) The moneys deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund from the sale of Iraqi Freedom license plates as authorized by Section 3-664 of the Illinois Vehicle Code may, subject to appropriation, be used by the Department of Veterans' Affairs to provide grants to assist in the financial and educational support of minor and dependent children of veterans who died or were disabled in the line of duty.

(c) During the time that tickets are sold for the Illinois veterans scratch-off game, the Department shall not unreasonably diminish the efforts devoted to marketing any other instant scratch-off lottery game.

(d) The Department may adopt any rules necessary to implement and administer the provisions of this Section.

(Source: P.A. 94-585, eff. 8-15-05.)

Section 10. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by adding Section 3-664 as follows:

(625 ILCS 5/3-664 new)

Sec. 3-664. Iraqi Freedom license 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 special registration plates designated as Iraqi Freedom license plates to residents of Illinois who meet eligibility requirements prescribed by the Secretary of State. The special plate issued under this Section shall be affixed only to passenger vehicles of the first division, motorcycles, motor vehicles of the second division weighing not more than 8,000 pounds, and recreational vehicles as defined by Section 1-169 of this Code. 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, except that the words "Iraqi Freedom" shall appear on the plates. The Secretary may, in his or her discretion, allow the plates to be issued as vanity or personalized plates in accordance with Section 3-405.1 of this Code. The plates are not required to designate "Land Of Lincoln", as prescribed in subsection (b) of Section 3-412 of this Code. The Secretary shall prescribe the eligibility requirements and, in his or her discretion, shall approve and prescribe stickers or decals as provided under Section 3-412.

(c) An applicant shall be charged a $40 fee for original issuance in addition to the applicable registration fee. Of this additional fee, $15 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $25 shall be deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund. For each registration renewal period, a $27 fee, in addition to the appropriate registration fee, shall be charged. Of this additional fee, $2 shall be deposited into the Secretary of State Special License Plate Fund and $25 shall be deposited into the Illinois Veterans Assistance Fund.