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Committee passes bill to end Lewis and Clark bicentennial specialty plate program, shift process to DOJ
Summary
The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass House Bill 641, which repeals the Lewis and Clark bicentennial specialty license plate program and removes its Department of Commerce account.
The House Transportation Committee voted unanimously to pass House Bill 641 on Feb. 12, 2025, an act repealing the Lewis and Clark bicentennial specialty license plate program and removing the Department of Commerce account associated with it. Representative Courtney Sprunger sponsored the bill at the request of the Department of Commerce.
"This bill corrects that oversight by removing the outdated statutory program and the plate, bringing it in line with every other specialty plate that underwent the same process in 2021," Representative Sprunger said during the hearing. She and Commerce staff said the change does not eliminate the ability of the three nonprofits that previously received funds — the Lewis and Clark Foundation, Travelers' Rest and Friends of Pompeys Pillar — to participate; the organizations can apply to the Department of Justice's streamlined specialty-plate program.
Mandy Rambo, deputy director at the Montana Department of Commerce, told the committee Commerce notified affected organizations in August 2023 and provided links and application assistance for DOJ's process. Rambo said demand for the bicentennial plate has declined since the bicentennial period and that the organizations may fall below DOJ's 400-plate threshold. She said fiscal-year 2024 sales were "over 500 plates sold," but also noted overall sales have declined since 2021; Representative Sprunger said in 2021 each organization received just over 3,300 (as stated in her opening). Rambo said Commerce can assist the nonprofits with redesign and outreach to meet DOJ requirements.
Molly Krukenberg, director of the Montana Historical Society, appeared as an informational witness and said her understanding was that the plate was established in 2007 and that the Historical Society participated in the Lewis and Clark bicentennial celebration.
Vice Chair Wirth moved the bill; the committee approved the motion by voice vote, with Vice Chair Baum announcing proxy ayes for Representatives Cafaro, Fitzpatrick, Staffman and Sullivan. The vote was recorded as unanimous and House Bill 641 will go to second reading on the House floor.
