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Committee approves changes to black license‑plate fund and creates endowment for historical society
Summary
The committee unanimously recommended House Bill 324 (substitute), which caps distributions from sales of a specialty black license plate, creates a $10 million endowment using current funds, and clarifies how excess proceeds are split between the historical society and the transportation fund.
Representatives and the committee considered House Bill 324, which makes changes to special group license plates policies and funding. Representative Peterson described the bill as clarifying legislative oversight and creating a cap on how much the Utah Historical Society may receive from the black specialty plate.
Why it matters: specialty license plates generate donations. HB324 would cap historical society distributions at $2 per plate up to $500,000 and appropriate existing funds to create an endowment intended to deliver a recurring payment (the sponsor described a plan to seed a $10 million endowment using prior collections to yield ongoing support for the historical society while routing future excess funds to the transportation fund).
The bill also contains administrative cleanup: allowing purchasers to buy a second plate, authorizing colleges to use funds for name/image/likeness programs when criteria are met, and consolidating agency plates that do not meet thresholds. Representative Peterson and committee members stressed transparency on the Division of Motor Vehicles website so purchasers know where donations go.
A motion to recommend the substitute passed unanimously; the committee recorded all aye votes.
