Purpose of the Bill

The bill aims to establish a new special license plate in Minnesota called "Donate Life." This initiative is intended to support organ and tissue donation efforts through a dedicated funding mechanism.

Main Provisions

1. Plate Issuance:

   • The commissioner is required to issue Donate Life special license plates to individuals who own a passenger vehicle, noncommercial one-ton pickup truck, motorcycle, or recreational vehicle.
   • Applicants must pay standard fees associated with special plates, a vehicle registration tax, and make an annual donation to the organ and tissue donation account.

2. Design of Plate:

   • The Donate Life plates will feature a design that includes a nationally recognized logo for organ, eye, and tissue donation, alongside the "Donate Life" inscription.

3. Plate Transferability:

   • Owners can transfer the special plates to another qualifying vehicle upon payment of a transfer fee, provided the new vehicle is registered to the same individual.

4. Exemption from Certain Regulations:

   • The Donate Life plates are exempt from certain existing regulations detailed in section 168.1293, subdivision 2.

5. Management of Contributions:

   • Contributions collected from the issuance of these plates will be deposited into a specific organ and tissue donation account within the special revenue fund.
   • The funds are appropriated to the commissioner, initially covering administration costs and then allocated to LifeSource, a nonprofit organization, for activities related to donation registry maintenance, education, and outreach.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• This bill introduces a new mechanism for promoting organ and tissue donation through the creation of special license plates. This creates a dedicated source of funding and a visual tool to increase awareness about organ and tissue donation.

Relevant Terms

Donate Life, special license plates, organ and tissue donation, LifeSource, registration tax, vehicle plates transfer, nonprofit organization, awareness and outreach.