28-2470.06. Education and community enrichment special plates; fund
A. If, by December 31, 2021, a person pays $32, 000 to the department for the implementation of this section, the department shall issue education and community enrichment special plates. The person that provides the $32, 000 shall design the education and community enrichment special plates. The design and color of the education and community enrichment special plates are subject to the approval of the department. The director may allow a request for education and community enrichment special plates to be combined with a request for personalized special plates. If the director allows such a combination, the request shall be in a form prescribed by the director and is subject to the fees for the personalized special plates in addition to the fees required for the education and community enrichment special plates.
B. Of the $25 fee required by section 28-2402 for the original special plates and for renewal of special plates, $8 is a special plate administration fee and $17 is an annual donation.
C. The department shall deposit, pursuant to sections 35-146 and 35-147, all special plate administration fees in the state highway fund established by section 28-6991 and all donations collected pursuant to this section in the education and community enrichment special plate fund established by this section.
D. The education and community enrichment special plate fund is established consisting of monies deposited pursuant to this section. The director shall administer the fund. The first $32, 000 in the fund shall be reimbursed to the person that paid the implementation fee to the department pursuant to subsection A of this section. Not more than ten percent of monies deposited in the fund annually shall be used for the cost of administering the fund. Monies in the fund are continuously appropriated.
E. The director shall annually allocate monies from the fund, excluding administrative fees, to an entity that is a charitable organization that is qualified under section 501(c)(3) of the United States internal revenue code for federal income tax purposes. The entity must:
1. Be headquartered in this state.
2. Have a mission to promote education through scholarships and other educational programming and to promote youth activities, sports and cultural enrichment in the community.
3. Develop programming through partnerships and collaboration with local community organizations.
4. Have an annual grant cycle and emphasize giving grants to nonprofits that work in the areas of youth, youth sports, education, western heritage or cultural and community enrichment.
5. Provide the following:
(a) Grant funding for individual schools.
(b) Science, technology, engineering and mathematics education grants.
(c) Robotics program grants.
(d) Project graduation grants.
(e) Future teacher scholarships.
(f) Scholarships to Scottsdale community college.
(g) National board certification scholarships.
(h) Education scholarships.
(i) Monies to educational programs that are designed to bring more persons to the teaching profession.
(j) Monies to programs that further the effort of educating the youth in this state.
F. On notice from the director, the state treasurer shall invest and divest monies in the fund as provided by section 35-313, and monies earned from investment shall be credited to the fund.