Bill creating license plates for special interest vehicles advances

Senators advanced a bill from general file Jan. 31 that would allow owners of collector vehicles to use a special motor vehicle interest plate.

LB216, introduced by Lincoln Sen. Colby Coash, would create special interest license plates that would be available to car club members who own motor vehicles that are unaltered from original specifications and are collected, preserved, restored or maintained for leisure.

Under the bill as introduced, one special interest license plate would be issued to a qualified applicant to be affixed to the rear of a vehicle. The additional fee for a special interest plate fee would be $50.

Coash said special interest vehicles currently are required to have license plates on the front and rear of the vehicle. Some collector vehicles are not manufactured to display front license plates, he said, so drilling holes into the front of such a vehicle could damage its integrity and decrease its value.

A Transportation and Telecommunications Committee amendment, adopted 38-0, replaced the original provisions of the bill and would allow the state Department of Motor Vehicles to design license plates to identify special interest motor vehicles. The plates would be alphanumeric and include the words “special interest.”

Under the amended bill, the special interest vehicle could be driven only on public streets and roads for occasional transportation, public displays, parades and related pleasure or hobby activities. Violations would be a Class V misdemeanor.

Boys Town Sen. Rich Pahls offered an amendment that would have allowed all vehicle owners the option to display only one license plate on any vehicle for an additional fee of $70. Many states do not require vehicles to have two license plates, Pahls said, and Nebraska should be consistent with that trend.

Kearney Sen. Galen Hadley opposed the Pahls amendment, saying it would pertain to many more vehicles than the bill intends.

“This is a significant leap to take without having a full [committee] hearing again,” Hadley said.

Pahls later withdrew the amendment.

Senators adopted a technical amendment and advanced LB216 to select file on a 26-0 vote.