Pennsylvania HB 1999: An Act amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in registration of vehicles, providing for Smokey Bear license plate.

Bill Text

PRINTER'S NO. 2538
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
HOUSE BILL
No. 1999
Session of
2025
INTRODUCED BY BENNINGHOFF, ANDERSON, BURGOS, FEE, FLICK, GILLEN,
GREEN, GREINER, HADDOCK, K.HARRIS, KULIK, McNEILL, OLSOMMER,
PASHINSKI, RIVERA, ROWE, SHAFFER, SHUSTERMAN, STAMBAUGH,
STENDER AND TWARDZIK, OCTOBER 28, 2025
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION, OCTOBER 28, 2025
AN ACT
Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes, in registration of vehicles, providing for Smokey
Bear license plate.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a section to read:
§ 1352.3. Smokey Bear license plate.
(a) Design.--The department, in consultation with the
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, shall design a
special Smokey Bear registration plate that:
(1) features a depiction of Smokey Bear based on
iconography used by the Forest Service within the United
States Department of Agriculture relating to Smokey Bear; and
(2) includes the phrase "Only you can prevent
wildfires."
(b) Application.--Upon application by any person and payment
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of a $43 fee, which shall be in addition to the registration
fee, the department shall issue a Smokey Bear registration plate
to the person.
(c) Limitation on gross weight.--The special registration
plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck with a
registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds.
(d) Fee allocation.--
(1) The amount of $14 of each fee collected under
subsection (b) shall be deposited into the Wild Resource
Conservation Fund established under 27 Pa.C.S. § 6108
(relating to Wild Resource Conservation Fund and duties of
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources).
(2) The money deposited under paragraph (1) shall be
used by the Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
for wildfire mitigation.
(e) Federal authorization.--
(1) The department shall request, in accordance with
Federal law, authorization from the Chief of the Forest
Service within the United States Department of Agriculture,
or a designee of the chief, for the rights to use the
depiction of Smokey Bear for registration plates in
accordance with this section.
(2) The duties of the department under this section are
contingent upon the department obtaining the authorization
under paragraph (1).
Section 2. This act shall take effect in 120 days.
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