Purpose

Establishes Panhellenic special license plates and related funding mechanisms in Minnesota. The program creates a Panhellenic foundations account to collect donations from plate holders and uses those funds to support affiliated charitable foundations connected to fraternities or sororities that are members of the National PanHellenic Council.

Eligibility to obtain plates

A person who owns a qualifying vehicle (passenger automobile, noncommercial one-ton pickup, truck, motorcycle, or recreational vehicle) and meets all required fees and registration requirements can obtain Panhellenic special plates or a single motorcycle plate. In addition, the applicant must contribute a minimum annual amount to the Panhellenic foundations account and comply with registration and licensing rules.

Eligibility criteria for the plate design: - The organization must be a fraternity or sorority that is a member of the National PanHellenic Council. - The organization must have an affiliated charitable foundation that is a nonprofit.

Plate design and identification

For an eligible fraternity or sorority (or its affiliated charitable foundation) the commissioner must adopt a suitable plate design. Each design must: - Include an emblem of the requesting organization. - Include an inscription identifying the organization and an associated motto or the standard inscription used on license plates.

Plate issuance and transfer

• Issuance: The commissioner issues Panhellenic special plates (or a single motorcycle plate) to eligible applicants who meet the vehicle, fee, and registration requirements.
• Transfer: Special plates can be transferred to another qualifying motor vehicle if the new vehicle is eligible and registered to the same individual, following payment of a transfer fee.

Fees, payments, and required contributions

• Fees: Applicants must pay the fee for special plates and the required registration tax, as currently required by law.
• Contributions: Applicants must contribute a minimum of $40 annually to the Panhellenic foundations account.
• Transfer fee: A $5 transfer fee applies when transferring plates.

Exemption from certain laws

Special plates issued under this section are not subject to the provision in section 168.1293 subdivision 2.

Funding and administration

• Contributions: Funds collected from the annual contributions are deposited into the Panhellenic foundations account, established in the special revenue fund.
• Appropriation and use: Money in the account is appropriated to the commissioner of public safety, who must first use it to cover the annual cost of administering the account. The remaining funds are distributed to affiliated charitable foundations in proportion to the number of plates issued for each design relative to total Panhellenic plates issued that year.
• Use of funds by foundations: Charitable foundations that receive distributions must use the money solely for charitable purposes that further the organization’s mission and purpose.

Significant changes to existing law

• Creates a new category of special license plates (Panhellenic plates) tied to National PanHellenic Council member organizations and their affiliated nonprofit foundations.
• Establishes a dedicated Panhellenic foundations account in the special revenue fund and requires annual charitable contributions from plate holders.
• Directs distributions from the fund to affiliated charitable foundations based on plate issuance proportions, with oversight by the commissioner of public safety.
• Allows plate design customization to include organization emblems and inscriptions, and provides a transfer mechanism for these plates between eligible vehicles.

Relevant Terms - Panhellenic special plates - Panhellenic foundations account - National PanHellenic Council - affiliated charitable foundation - nonprofit organization - emblem - inscription - motto - license plates - registration tax - 168.12 subdivision 1 (fees) - 168.013 (registration tax) - vehicle types (passenger automobile, noncommercial one-ton pickup, truck, motorcycle, recreational vehicle) - transfer fee - exemption (not subject to 168.1293 subdivision 2) - special revenue fund - commissioner of public safety - charitable purposes - proportional distribution - annual administration costs