(1) A special license plate series created by the legislature after January 1, 2004, that has not been reviewed and approved by the special license plate review board is subject to the following requirements:

     (a) The organization sponsoring the license plate series shall, within thirty days of enactment of the legislation creating the plate series, submit prepayment of all start-up costs associated with the creation and implementation of the special license plate in an amount determined by the department. The prepayment will be credited to the motor vehicle fund. The creation and implementation of the plate series may not commence until payment is received by the department.

     (b) If the sponsoring organization is not able to meet the prepayment requirements in (a) of this subsection and can demonstrate this fact to the satisfaction of the department, the revenues generated from the sale of the special license plates must be deposited in the motor vehicle account until the department determines that the state's portion of the implementation costs have been fully reimbursed. When it is determined that the state has been fully reimbursed the department must notify the treasurer to commence distribution of the revenue according to statutory provisions.

     (c) The sponsoring organization must provide a proposed license plate design to the department within thirty days of enactment of the legislation creating the plate series.

     (2) The state must be reimbursed for its portion of the implementation costs within two years from the date the new plate series goes on sale to the public. If the reimbursement does not occur within the two-year time frame, the special license plate series must be placed in probationary status for a period of one year from that date. If the state is still not fully reimbursed for its implementation costs after the one-year probation, the plate series must be discontinued immediately. Those plates issued before discontinuation are valid until replaced under RCW 46.16.233.

     (3) If the sponsoring organization ceases to exist or the purpose of the special plate series ceases to exist, revenues generated from the sale of the special license plates must be deposited into the motor vehicle account.

     (4) A sponsoring organization may not seek to redesign their plate series until all of the existing inventory is sold or purchased by the organization itself. All cost for redesign of a plate series must be paid by the sponsoring organization.

[2003 c 196 § 304.]

NOTES:

     Part headings not law -- 2003 c 196: See note following RCW 46.16.700.