Section 301.472

Title XIX MOTOR VEHICLES, WATERCRAFT AND AVIATION

Chapter 301

Effective - 28 Aug 2004, 2 histories, see footnote   (history) 

  301.472.  Professional sports team special license plates, emblem — teams to make agreement for use of emblem with department of revenue — procedure to use, application, form, fee — sports team to forward contributions, where, amount — rulemaking authority. — 1.  Any motor vehicle owner may receive special license plates for any vehicle the person owns, either solely or jointly, other than an apportioned motor vehicle or a commercial motor vehicle licensed in excess of eighteen thousand pounds gross weight as prescribed in this section after an annual payment of an emblem-use authorization fee to a professional sports team which has made an agreement pursuant to subsection 5 of this section.  For the purposes of this section a "professional sports team" shall mean an organization located in this state franchised by the National Professional Soccer League, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, the National Hockey League, the International Hockey League, or the American League or the National League of Major League Baseball or a team playing in Major League Soccer.

  2.  The professional sports team which has made an agreement pursuant to subsection 5 of this section and which receives the emblem-use authorization fee hereby authorizes the use of its official emblem to be affixed on multiyear personalized license plates as provided in this section.  Any vehicle owner may annually apply for the use of the emblem.  The director of revenue shall not authorize the manufacturer of the material to produce such license plates with the individual seal, logo, or emblem until the department of revenue receives a minimum of one hundred applications for each specific professional sports team.

  3.  Upon annual application and payment of a thirty-five dollar emblem-use contribution to the professional sports team such team shall issue to the vehicle owner, without further charge, an emblem-use authorization statement, which shall be presented by the owner to the director of the department of revenue at the time of registration of a motor vehicle.  Upon presentation of the annual statement and payment of a fifteen dollar fee in addition to the regular registration fees, and presentation of other documents which may be required by law, the director shall issue a personalized license plate, which shall bear the official emblem of the professional sports team in a manner determined by the director.  Such license plates shall be made with fully reflective material with a common color scheme and design, shall be clearly visible at night, and shall be aesthetically attractive, as prescribed by section 301.130.  A fee for the issuance of personalized license plates issued pursuant to section 301.144 shall not be required for plates issued pursuant to this section.

  4.  A vehicle owner, who was previously issued a plate with a professional sports team emblem authorized by this section but who does not provide an emblem-use authorization statement at a subsequent time of registration, shall be issued a new plate which does not bear the professional sports team emblem, as otherwise provided by law.

  5.  The director of the department of revenue is authorized to make agreements with professional sports teams on behalf of the state which allow the use of any such team's official emblem pursuant to the provisions of this section as consideration for receiving a thirty-five dollar emblem-use contribution.

  6.  Except as provided in subsection 7, a professional sports team receiving a thirty-five dollar contribution shall forward such contribution, less an amount not in excess of five percent of the contribution for the costs of administration, to the Jackson County Sports Authority or the St.  Louis Regional Convention and Visitors Commission.  The moneys shall be administered as follows:

  (1)  The sports authority may retain not in excess of five percent of all funds forwarded to it pursuant to this section for the costs of administration and shall expend the remaining balance of such funds, after consultation with a professional sports team within the authority's area, on marketing and promoting such team.  The amount of money expended from the funds obtained pursuant to this section by the authority per professional sports team shall be in the same proportion to the total funds available to be expended on such team as the proportion of contributions forwarded by the team to the authority is to the total contributions received by the authority;

  (2)  The regional convention and visitors commission shall hold the revenues received from the professional sports teams in the St. Louis area in separate accounts for each team.  Each team may submit an annual marketing plan to the commission.  Expenses of a team which are in accordance with the marketing plan shall be reimbursed by the commission as long as moneys are available in the account.  The commission may retain not in excess of five percent for the costs of administration.  If no marketing plan is submitted by a team, the commission shall market and promote the team.

  7.  The Kansas City Chiefs shall forward all emblem-use fees received, less an amount not in excess of five percent of the costs of administration, to the Chiefs' Children's Fund, a not-for-profit fund established to benefit children in need in the Kansas City area.

  8.  The director of the department of revenue shall promulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this section.  No rule or portion of a rule promulgated pursuant to the authority of this section shall become effective unless it has been promulgated pursuant to the provisions of chapter 536.

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(L. 1999 S.B. 19 § 9 merged with S.B. 115 § 1, A.L. 2004 H.B. 1508)