(a) In consultation with the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. the Administration shall develop and make available for qualifying vehicles a specially designed registration plate honoring Maryland agriculture.
(b) The owner of a vehicle, or a lessee of the vehicle under a lease not intended as security, or a director, officer, employee, or partner of a business entity that owns the vehicle considered eligible by the Administration may apply to the Administration for an original or substitute registration plate under this section if the vehicle is included in one of the following classes:
(1) A Class A (passenger) vehicle;
(2) A Class E (truck) vehicle with a manufacturer’s rated capacity of one ton or less;
(3) A Class E (farm truck) vehicle;
(4) A Class G (trailer) vehicle; or
(5) A Class M (multipurpose) vehicle.
(c) (1) In addition to the annual registration fee otherwise required under this title, an owner of a vehicle assigned a registration plate under this section shall pay:
(i) When initially issued the registration plate, a onetime fee set by the Administration to recover the Administration’s costs under this section; and
(ii) When initially issued the registration plate, and each time the registration plate is renewed, an additional fee set by the Administration to benefit the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc.
(2) The additional fee collected under this section is not required for special registration of a vehicle that is exempt under § 13–903 of this title.
(3) No portion of the fee collected under this section may be credited to the Gasoline and Motor Vehicle Revenue Account for distribution under § 8–403 or § 8–404 of this article.
(d) The Administration shall consult with the Maryland Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. on:
(1) The design of a registration plate to be issued under this section to honor Maryland agriculture;
(2) The setting of the fee to be charged under subsection (c)(1)(ii) of this section at a level intended to encourage the purchase of the registration plate issued under this section while providing a continuous revenue source to benefit the Foundation; and
(3) A schedule under which the Administration will transfer to the Foundation revenue collected on the Foundation’s behalf.
(e) The Administration shall adopt regulations to govern the issuance of special registration plates under this section.