SB297: Bill Text

2025 - 2026 LEGISLATURE

LRB-3157/1

ZDW:amn&cjs

2025 SENATE BILL 297

May 30, 2025 - Introduced by Senators Pfaff, Habush Sinykin, Cabral-Guevara, Carpenter, Drake, Hesselbein, Larson, Ratcliff, Roys, Smith, Spreitzer, Wirch and Dassler-Alfheim, cosponsored by Representatives Snodgrass, Behnke, DeSanto, Miresse, Arney, Billings, Cruz, DeSmidt, Doyle, Emerson, Fitzgerald, Joers, Johnson, Mayadev, Moore Omokunde, Palmeri, Rivera-Wagner, Roe, Sheehan, Sinicki, Stubbs, Subeck, Tenorio, Vining, Andraca, Udell and J. Jacobson. Referred to Committee on Transportation and Local Government.

SB297,1,4 An Act to amend 20.370 (1) (fs), 20.395 (5) (cj), 25.29 (1) (f), 341.14 (6r) (c), 341.14 (6r) (e) and 341.14 (6r) (fm) 7.; to create 25.40 (1) (a) 38., 341.14 (6r) (b) 23. and 341.14 (6r) (f) 70. of the statutes; relating to: special registration plates to support protecting pollinators and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Under current law, members of certain designated special groups may obtain from the Department of Transportation special registration plates for certain vehicles that are owned or leased by special group members. A fee, in addition to the regular registration fee for the particular kind of vehicle, is charged for the issuance or reissuance of most special plates.

This bill establishes a special group for persons to express support for protecting pollinators. The bill requires that plates issued to members of the special group have a design that covers the entire plate and includes the words “Protect Pollinators.”

The bill provides that, in addition to the required fees, special group members are required to make a voluntary payment of $25 to be issued the special plates. Under the bill, DOT retains $23,700, or the actual initial costs of production, whichever is less, from the voluntary payment moneys for the initial costs of production of the special plates. The remainder of the voluntary payment amounts are deposited in the conservation fund to be used by the Department of Natural Resources for the purposes of the endangered resources program. In addition, the bill appropriates $23,700 from the general fund to DOT for the initial costs of production of the special group plates.

For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

SB297,1 Section 1. 20.370 (1) (fs) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,2,14 20.370 (1) (fs) Endangered resources — voluntary payments; sales, leases, and fees. As a continuing appropriation, from moneys received as amounts designated under ss. 71.10 (5) (b) and 71.30 (10) (b), the net amounts certified under ss. 71.10 (5) (h) 4. and 71.30 (10) (h) 3., all moneys received from the sale or lease of resources derived from the land in the state natural areas system, and all moneys received from fees collected under ss. 29.319 (2), 29.563 (10) (a), and 341.14 (6r) (b) 5. and, 12., and 23., for the purposes of the endangered resources program, as defined under ss. 71.10 (5) (a) 2. and 71.30 (10) (a) 2. Three percent of the moneys certified under ss. 71.10 (5) (h) 4. and 71.30 (10) (h) 3. in each fiscal year and 3 percent of the fees received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 5. and, 12., and 23. in each fiscal year shall be allocated for wildlife damage control and payment of claims for damage associated with endangered or threatened species, except that this combined allocation may not exceed $100,000 per fiscal year.

SB297,2 Section 2. 20.395 (5) (cj) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,3,2 20.395 (5) (cj) Vehicle registration, special group plates, state funds. From the general fund, all moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 3. and (fm) 2. and all moneys transferred under 2025 Wisconsin Act .... (this act), section 10 (1), for the purpose of producing and issuing special group plates under s. 341.14 (6r) (f) and (fm) and returning payments under s. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 2. a.

SB297,3 Section 3. 25.29 (1) (f) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,3,4 25.29 (1) (f) Moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 5., 7., and 12., and 23.

SB297,4 Section 4. 25.40 (1) (a) 38. of the statutes is created to read:

SB297,3,8 25.40 (1) (a) 38. Moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 23. that are deposited into the conservation fund and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (fs).

SB297,5 Section 5. 341.14 (6r) (b) 23. of the statutes is created to read:

SB297,4,2 341.14 (6r) (b) 23. In addition to the fee under subd. 2., a voluntary payment of $25 shall be collected in connection with the issuance or renewal of a plate issued on an annual basis for the special group specified under par. (f) 70. In addition to the fee under subd. 2., a voluntary payment of $50 shall be collected in connection with the issuance or renewal of a plate issued on a biennial basis for the special group specified under par. (f) 70. if the plate is issued or renewed during the first year of the biennial registration period or $25 for the issuance or renewal if the plate is issued or renewed during the 2nd year of the biennial registration period. No plate may be issued for the special group specified under par. (f) 70. unless the voluntary payment under this subdivision is collected. All moneys received under this subdivision, in excess of $23,700 or the actual initial costs of production for the special group plates under par. (f) 70., whichever is less, shall be deposited in the conservation fund and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.370 (1) (fs). To the extent permitted under ch. 71, the voluntary payment under this subdivision is deductible as a charitable contribution for purposes of the taxes under ch. 71.

SB297,6 Section 6. 341.14 (6r) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,6,11 341.14 (6r) (c) Special group plates shall display the word “Wisconsin”, the name of the applicable authorized special group, a symbol representing the special group, not exceeding one position, and identifying letters or numbers or both, not exceeding 7 positions and not less than one position. Except as provided in this paragraph, the department shall specify the design for special group plates, but the department shall consult the president of the University of Wisconsin System before specifying the word or symbol used to identify the special groups under par. (f) 35. to 47., the secretary of natural resources before specifying the word or symbol used to identify the special groups under par. (f) 50. and, 59., and 70., the chief executive officer of the professional football team and an authorized representative of the league of professional football teams described in s. 229.823 to which that team belongs before specifying the design for the applicable special group plate under par. (f) 55., the chief trademark officer of Harley-Davidson Michigan, LLC before specifying the design for the applicable special group plate under par. (f) 61r., the department of veterans affairs before specifying the design for the special group plates under par. (f) 49d., 49h., and 49s., the department of tourism and chief executive officer of the organization specified in par. (f) 55m. before specifying the design and word or symbol used to identify the special group name for special group plates under par. (f) 55m., and the Three Harbors Council, Boy Scouts of America NESA License Committee before specifying the designs for the initial special group plate under par. (f) 66. Special group plates under par. (f) 50. shall be as similar as possible to regular registration plates in color and design. Special group plates issued under par. (f) 62. shall display the words “In God We Trust”. The department shall make available 2 designs for the special group plates under par. (f) 60. The department may not specify any design for the special group plates under par. (f) 60. unless the design is approved by the executive vice president of the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club LP. The department may not specify any design for the special group plates under par. (f) 65. unless the design is approved by the president of the Milwaukee Bucks. The word or symbol used to identify the special group under par. (f) 59. shall be different from the word or symbol used to identify the special group under par. (f) 50., and the design shall cover the entire plate. Special group plates issued under par. (f) 70. shall display the words “Protect Pollinators,” and the design shall cover the entire plate. Special group plates under par. (f) 61m. shall display a logo or image of the lion associated with the Lions Clubs International. Special group plates under par. (f) 61r. shall display a bar and shield logo associated with Harley-Davidson, Inc., on the left portion of the plates and the words “share the road” on the bottom portion of the plates. Special group plates under par. (f) 63. shall display the words “Trout Unlimited.” Special group plates under par. (f) 65m. shall display the words “Help Cure Childhood Cancer” in purple lettering and a symbol comprised of a purple handprint superimposed upon a red heart superimposed upon a gold ribbon. Special group plates under par. (f) 66. shall display the words “Scouting Alumni” and, at the option of the vehicle owner, either a logo or symbol associated with the Boy Scouts of America or a logo or symbol associated with the Eagle Scouts. Special group plates under par. (f) 67. shall display a logo or symbol associated with Whitetails Unlimited. Special group plates under par. (f) 68. shall display a logo or symbol associated with the Wisconsin Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Special group plates under par. (f) 69. shall display the words “Nurses Change Lives” and an image of a heart partially encircled by a stethoscope. Notwithstanding par. (e), special group plates under par. (f) 33m. and 48m. shall be the same color and design that was specified by the department for special group plates under par. (f) 33. and 48., respectively, immediately prior to January 1, 2007. The design for special group plates under par. (f) 33. and 48. shall be different from the design of special group plates under par. (f) 33m. and 48m., respectively.

SB297,7 Section 7. 341.14 (6r) (e) of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,7,6 341.14 (6r) (e) The department shall specify one combination of colors for special group plates for groups or organizations which are not military in nature and not special group plates under par. (f) 35. to 47., 50., and, 59., and 70., for each professional football team under par. (f) 55., for each professional baseball team under par. (f) 60., and for each professional basketball team under par. (f) 65. The department shall specify one combination of colors for special group plates under par. (f) 35. to 47. Subject to par. (c), the department shall specify the word or words comprising the special group name and the symbol to be displayed upon special group plates for a group or organization which is not military in nature after consultation with the chief executive officer in this state of the group or organization. The department shall require that the word or words and symbol for a university specified under par. (f) 35. to 47. be a registration decal or tag and affixed to the special group plate and be of the colors for a university specified under par. (f) 35. to 47. that the president of the University of Wisconsin System specifies. The department shall consult the chief trademark officer of Harley- Davidson Michigan, LLC before specifying the colors for the special group plate under par. (f) 61r.

SB297,8 Section 8. 341.14 (6r) (f) 70. of the statutes is created to read:

SB297,7,9 341.14 (6r) (f) 70. Persons interested in supporting the protection of pollinators.

SB297,9 Section 9. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 7. of the statutes is amended to read:

SB297,7,17 341.14 (6r) (fm) 7. After October 1, 1998, additional authorized special groups may only be special groups designated by the department under this paragraph. The authorized special groups enumerated in par. (f) shall be limited solely to those special groups specified under par. (f) on October 1, 1998. This subdivision does not apply to the special groups specified under par. (f) 3m., 6m., 9g., 9m., 12g., 12m., 15m., 15n., 15o., 15p., 15q., 19m., 33m., 48m., 49d., 49h., 49s., 54., 55., 55m., 56., 57., 58., 59., 60., 61., 61m., 61r., 62., 63., 64., 65., 65m., 66., 67., 68., and 69., and 70.

SB297,10 Section 10. Fiscal changes.

SB297,7,22 (1) There is transferred from the general fund to the appropriation account under s. 20.395 (5) (cj) $23,700 in the fiscal year in which this subsection takes effect. Moneys transferred under this subsection shall be used to cover the initial costs of production of the special group plates under s. 341.14 (6r) (f) 70.

SB297,11 Section 11. Effective date.

SB297,8,3 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 10th month beginning after publication, or on the 2nd day after publication of the 2025 biennial budget act, whichever is later.

SB297,8,4 (end)