28-2452. Firefighter special plates; fund

A. If, by December 31, 2015, a person pays thirty-two thousand dollars to the department for the implementation of this section, the department shall issue firefighter special plates. The design and color of the firefighter special plates are subject to the approval of the department. The director may allow a request for firefighter special plates to be combined with a request for personalized special plates. If the director allows such a combination, the request shall be in a form prescribed by the director and is subject to the fees for the personalized special plates in addition to the fees required for firefighter special plates.

B. Of the twenty-five dollar fee required by section 28-2402 for original special plates and for renewal of special plates, eight dollars is a special plate administration fee and seventeen dollars is an annual donation.

C. The department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all special plate administration fees in the state highway fund established by section 28-6991 and all donations collected pursuant to this section in the firefighter special plate fund established by this section.

D. The firefighter special plate fund is established consisting of monies received pursuant to this section. The director shall administer the fund. The first thirty-two thousand dollars in the fund shall be reimbursed to the person who provides the thirty-two thousand dollars pursuant to subsection A of this section. Not more than five percent of monies deposited in the fund annually shall be used for the cost of administering the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.

E. The director shall annually allocate monies from the firefighter special plate fund, excluding administrative fees, to an incorporated nonprofit corporation that is qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code for federal income tax purposes and that has a mission of leading, serving and collaborating to mobilize enduring philanthropy for a better state. The nonprofit corporation must have been awarding grants since 1978 and must provide funding year-round to nonprofit organizations, government agencies and educational institutions for a variety of uses, including general operating support, programmatic support and capacity building. The monies in the fund must be used to provide scholarships for life safety training of firefighters in this state.

F. On notice from the director, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided in section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.