Before October 2, 1998, authorized special groups whose members may obtain
special plates were specifically enumerated in state law. With certain exceptions,
current law provides that specific enumeration in state law of authorized special
groups is limited to those special groups enumerated before October 2, 1998.
This bill establishes an authorized special group specifically enumerated in
state law for persons interested in obtaining special plates supporting Wisconsin
Trout Unlimited. In addition to the regular vehicle registration fee, special group
members are required to pay a $15 fee for issuance or reissuance of the special plates

and a $25 annual fee that provides funds to Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Inc. The bill
requires the special plates to display the words "Trout Unlimited." However, DOT
may not issue these special plates until DOT has obtained, if necessary, authority to
use any applicable trademark or service mark associated with these special plates.
For further information see the state fiscal estimate, which will be printed as
an appendix to this bill.
The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do
enact as follows:
AB173,1 1Section 1. 20.395 (5) (ei) of the statutes is created to read:
AB173,2,42 20.395 (5) (ei) Payments to Wisconsin Trout Unlimited. From the general fund,
3all moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 15. for payments to Wisconsin Trout
4Unlimited, Inc., under s. 341.14 (10).
AB173,2 5Section 2. 25.40 (1) (a) 30. of the statutes is created to read:
AB173,2,86 25.40 (1) (a) 30. Moneys received under s. 341.14 (6r) (b) 15. that are deposited
7into the general fund and credited to the appropriation account under s. 20.395 (5)
8(ei).
AB173,3 9Section 3. 341.14 (6r) (b) 1. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB173,3,1510 341.14 (6r) (b) 1. Subject to subd. 1m., upon application to register an
11automobile or motor home, or a motor truck, dual purpose motor home or dual
12purpose farm truck which has a gross weight of not more than 8,000 pounds, or a
13farm truck which has a gross weight of not more than 12,000 pounds, by any person
14who is a resident of this state and a member of an authorized special group, the
15department shall issue to the person special plates whose colors and design shall
16indicate that the vehicle is owned by a person who is a member of the applicable
17special group. The department may not issue any special group plates under par. (f)
1855., 60., or 61r. until 6 months after the department has received information
19sufficient for the department to determine that any approvals required for use of any

1logo, trademark, trade name or other commercial symbol designating the
2professional football team or professional baseball team or associated with
3Harley-Davidson, Inc., have been obtained. Subject to sub. subs. (9) (d) and (10) (d),
4the department may not issue any special group plates under par. (f) 61m. or 62. until
5the department has received information sufficient for the department to determine
6that any license or other approval required for use of any logo, trademark or service
7mark, trade name or other commercial symbol to be used on or in association with
8these plates has been obtained. Notwithstanding s. 341.12 (2), if the department of
9corrections does not have flat-plate technology available for use in manufacturing
10license plates at quality and cost comparable to that available from the state of
11Minnesota, the department of transportation may not issue any special group plates
12under par. (f) 59. unless the department of transportation purchases the plates from
13the state of Minnesota. Sections 16.70, 16.71, 16.72, 16.75, 16.752 to 16.755, 16.765,
1416.77, and 16.82 do not apply to purchases of plates issued under par. (f) 59. from the
15state of Minnesota.
AB173,4 16Section 4. 341.14 (6r) (b) 15. of the statutes is created to read:
AB173,4,417 341.14 (6r) (b) 15. Subject to sub. (10) (d), a fee of $25 that is in addition to the
18fee under subd. 2. shall be charged for the issuance or renewal of a plate issued on
19an annual basis for the special group specified under par. (f) 62. Subject to sub. (10)
20(d), a fee of $50 that is in addition to the fee under subd. 2. shall be charged for the
21issuance or renewal of a plate issued on the biennial basis for the special group
22specified under par. (f) 62. if the plate is issued or renewed during the first year of
23the biennial registration period or $25 for the issuance or renewal if the plate is
24issued or renewed during the 2nd year of the biennial registration period. All moneys
25received under this subdivision in excess of $23,700 or of the initial cost of production

1of the special group plate under par. (f) 62., whichever is less, shall be deposited into
2the general fund and credited to the appropriation under s. 20.395 (5) (ei). To the
3extent permitted under ch. 71, the fee under this subdivision is deductible as a
4charitable contribution for purposes of the taxes under ch. 71.
AB173,5 5Section 5. 341.14 (6r) (c) of the statutes is amended to read:
AB173,5,166 341.14 (6r) (c) Special group plates shall display the word "Wisconsin", the
7name of the applicable authorized special group, a symbol representing the special
8group, not exceeding one position, and identifying letters or numbers or both, not
9exceeding 6 positions and not less than one position. Except as provided in this
10paragraph, the department shall specify the design for special group plates, but the
11department shall consult the president of the University of Wisconsin System before
12specifying the word or symbol used to identify the special groups under par. (f) 35.
13to 47., the secretary of natural resources before specifying the word or symbol used
14to identify the special groups under par. (f) 50. and 59., the chief executive officer of
15the professional football team and an authorized representative of the league of
16professional football teams described in s. 229.823 to which that team belongs before
17specifying the design for the applicable special group plate under par. (f) 55., the chief
18trademark officer of Harley-Davidson Michigan, LLC before specifying the design
19for the applicable special group plate under par. (f) 61r., the department of veterans
20affairs before specifying the design for the special group plates under par. (f) 49d.,
2149h., and 49s., and the department of tourism and chief executive officer of the
22organization specified in par. (f) 55m. before specifying the design and word or
23symbol used to identify the special group name for special group plates under par.
24(f) 55m. Special group plates under par. (f) 50. shall be as similar as possible to
25regular registration plates in color and design. The department shall make available

12 designs for the special group plates under par. (f) 60. The department may not
2specify any design for the special group plates under par. (f) 60. unless the design is
3approved by the executive vice president of the Milwaukee Brewers Baseball Club
4LP. The word or symbol used to identify the special group under par. (f) 59. shall be
5different from the word or symbol used to identify the special group under par. (f) 50.
6and the design shall cover the entire plate. Special group plates under par. (f) 61m.
7shall display a logo or image of the lion associated with the Lions Clubs
8International. Special group plates under par. (f) 61r. shall display a bar and shield
9logo associated with Harley-Davidson, Inc., on the left portion of the plates and the
10words "share the road" on the bottom portion of the plates. Special group plates
11under par. (f) 62. shall display the words "Trout Unlimited."
Notwithstanding par.
12(e), special group plates under par. (f) 33m. and 48m. shall be the same color and
13design that was specified by the department for special group plates under par. (f)
1433. and 48., respectively, immediately prior to January 1, 2007. The design for
15special group plates under par. (f) 33. and 48. shall be different from the design of
16special group plates under par. (f) 33m. and 48m., respectively.
AB173,6 17Section 6. 341.14 (6r) (f) 62. of the statutes is created to read:
AB173,5,1918 341.14 (6r) (f) 62. Persons interested in obtaining a plate supporting Wisconsin
19Trout Unlimited.
AB173,7 20Section 7. 341.14 (6r) (fm) 7. of the statutes is amended to read:
AB173,6,221 341.14 (6r) (fm) 7. After October 1, 1998, additional authorized special groups
22may only be special groups designated by the department under this paragraph. The
23authorized special groups enumerated in par. (f) shall be limited solely to those
24special groups specified under par. (f) on October 1, 1998. This subdivision does not
25apply to the special groups specified under par. (f) 3m., 6m., 9g., 9m., 12g., 12m.,

115m., 19m., 33m., 48m., 49d., 49h., 49s., 54., 55., 55m., 56., 57., 58., 59., 60., 61., 61m.,
2and 61r., and 62.
AB173,8 3Section 8. 341.14 (10) of the statutes is created to read:
AB173,6,54 341.14 (10) (a) Subject to par. (c), from the appropriation under s. 20.395 (5)
5(ei), the department shall make payments to Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Inc.
AB173,6,96 (b) For each year in which the department makes payments under par. (a),
7Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Inc., shall submit to the presiding officer of each house
8of the legislature an audited financial statement of its use of the payments under this
9subsection, prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.
AB173,6,1310 (c) The department shall discontinue payments to Wisconsin Trout Unlimited,
11Inc., under this subsection if Wisconsin Trout Unlimited, Inc., dissolves, becomes
12insolvent, files a petition for bankruptcy, or is no longer exempt from taxation under
13section 501 (a) of the Internal Revenue Code.
AB173,6,1614 (d) 1. The department may not issue any plates under sub. (6r) (f) 62. unless
15any approval required under sub. (6r) (b) 1. for these plates provides for all of the
16following:
AB173,6,1817 a. That the approval is irrevocable with respect to all plates issued for vehicles
18after the plates are issued for these vehicles.
AB173,6,2219 b. That, if the approval is withdrawn, the department may continue to renew
20the registration of vehicles previously issued plates under sub. (6r) (f) 62., without
21replacing those plates, but the department shall discontinue charging the fee
22specified in sub. (6r) (b) 15. with respect to these renewals.
AB173,7,223 2. Notwithstanding sub. (6r) (b) 1. and (f) (intro.), if the approval specified in
24sub. (6r) (b) 1. for plates issued under sub. (6r) (f) 62. is withdrawn, the department

1shall discontinue issuing plates under sub. (6r) (f) 62. unless additional approval, as
2specified in sub. (6r) (b) 1. and this paragraph, is obtained by the department.
AB173,9 3Section 9. Nonstatutory provisions.
AB173,7,114 (1) Notwithstanding section 16.42 (1) (e) of the statutes, if this subsection takes
5effect in fiscal year 2014-15, in submitting information under section 16.42 of the
6statutes for purposes of the 2015-17 biennial budget bill, the department of
7transportation shall submit information concerning the appropriation under section
820.395 (5) (cq) of the statutes as though the total amount appropriated under section
920.395 (5) (cq) of the statutes for the 2014-15 fiscal year was $23,700 less than the
10total amount that was actually appropriated under section 20.395 (5) (cq) of the
11statutes for the 2014-15 fiscal year.
AB173,10 12Section 10. Fiscal changes.
AB173,7,1713 (1) In the schedule under section 20.005 (3) of the statutes for the appropriation
14to the department of transportation under section 20.395 (5) (cq) of the statutes, as
15affected by the acts of 2013, the dollar amount is increased by $23,700 for the fiscal
16year in which this subsection takes effect to increase funding for special registration
17plates associated with Wisconsin Trout Unlimited.
AB173,11 18Section 11. Effective date.
AB173,7,2019 (1) This act takes effect on the first day of the 7th month beginning after
20publication.
AB173,7,2121 (End)
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