Relating to animal welfare special registration plates

34 or approved by the DOT. Personalized processed emblem special registration plates are limited to five or fewer numerals and letters. This bill authorizes the DOT to design and issue special registration plates with an animal welfare distinguishing processed emblem. The bill requires the DOT to design the animal welfare emblem, which must depict a black cat nested within a white dog, nested within a black paw print. Under current law, the default special fee for a special registration plate with a distinguishing processed emblem is $25. However, the bill provides that the special animal welfare fee for letter-number designated animal welfare plates is $35. Pursuant to current law, an applicant may obtain personalized animal welfare plates upon payment of the $25 fee for personalized plates, which is in addition to the special animal welfare fee. Pursuant to current law, the annual special animal welfare fee for letter-number designated plates is $5, which is in addition to the regular annual registration fee, and the annual fee for personalized animal welfare plates is $5, which is in addition to the annual special animal welfare fee and the regular annual registration fee. The fees collected by the DOT must be paid monthly to the treasurer of state and deposited in the road use tax fund. The treasurer of state must transfer monthly from the statutory allocations fund to the commercial establishment fund the amount of the special fees collected in the previous month for animal welfare plates. Under the current law, the department of agriculture and land stewardship (DALS) is responsible for regulating the care of animals in commercial establishments pursuant to Code chapter 162. “Commercial establishment” is defined in Code chapter 162 as an animal shelter, boarding kennel, commercial breeder, commercial kennel, dealer, pet shop, pound, public auction, or research facility.10B.10B, DALS may inspect the commercial establishment of a registrant or state licensee by entering onto its business premises at any time during normal working hours. In addition, DALS may inspect records required to be maintained by the state licensee or registrant. The bill prohibits the DOT from conditioning the issuance of animal welfare plates on the receipt of any number of orders for animal welfare plates.