31-2-231. Wildlife conservation license plates; wildlife conservation account; authority to receive and expend monies.
(a) Any person required to register a vehicle in Wyoming pursuant to this article may apply to the department for a statement of eligibility for wildlife conservation license plates for any motor vehicle that is not a commercial vehicle or multipurpose vehicle owned or leased by that person upon registration of the vehicle. The department may include as part of the application the option for the applicant to donate an additional amount in support of wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system. Upon payment by the applicant of a fee of one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) to the department, plus any additional voluntary amount, the department shall issue a written statement of eligibility for wildlife conservation license plates. The department shall assess an annual fee of fifty dollars ($50.00) for a person to retain eligibility for wildlife conservation plates, but this annual fee shall not be charged in the year the person pays the one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) eligibility fee. The person may submit an additional voluntary amount in support of wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system when remitting the annual fee.
(b) The fees collected under subsection (a) of this section shall be payable to the department and shall be accounted for separately. Except as otherwise provided by law, the fees collected under subsection (a) of this section and funds collected under W.S. 23-2-101(p), 23-2-201(h), 23-2-306(d), 24-1-131(b), 31-2-225(a)(vi), 31-2-404(f)(ii), 31-2-409(h)(ii), 31-2-703(e)(ii), 31-3-101(j), 31_7_111(b)(xiv) and 36-4-121(t) shall be distributed to the wildlife conservation account within the state highway fund, which is hereby created. The wildlife conservation account shall be administered in accordance with the following:
(i) Funds in the wildlife conservation account are continuously appropriated to the department and shall only be used to provide for wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system, including signage, wildlife corridors, wildlife crossings and game fences. Money received and the proceeds or other property likewise received and disposed of by the department may, in consultation with the Wyoming transportation commission, be expended by the department for the purposes of this section;
(ii) The department may establish methods to accept voluntary contributions in support of wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system for deposit into the wildlife conservation account. The department may suggest and solicit specific contribution amounts;
(iii) The department, in consultation with the Wyoming transportation commission, is authorized to receive and credit to the wildlife conservation account, any money or property of any kind or character donated, granted or bequeathed to the Wyoming transportation commission, the department or the state of Wyoming for wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system. The department, in consultation with the Wyoming transportation commission, shall have the authority to carry out the terms, if any, of the grant, donation or bequest, or in the absence of any terms or limitations, to expend the money or the proceeds of the property as it may deem advisable for wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system under the provisions of this section;
(iv) The state treasurer is hereby authorized and directed to receive and credit to the wildlife conservation account any grant, donation or bequest that is made to the Wyoming transportation commission, the department or the state of Wyoming for wildlife conservation efforts related to the transportation system to be expended for the purposes provided by this section. The state treasurer shall invest any money received under this paragraph in accordance with law and the investment earnings received thereon shall be deposited into the wildlife conservation account.
(c) Applicants shall apply at least thirty (30) days before registration is required for the vehicle for which the plates are intended. Except as provided in this section, application for, issuance and renewal of the wildlife conservation license plates under this section shall be subject to the same requirements and fees as provided in this article in addition to the fee collected under subsection (a) of this section. The license plate fees required under W.S. 31-3-102(a)(viii) shall accompany each application. The license plates under this section shall be issued by the county treasurer of each county and shall be displayed only upon the vehicle for which they are issued.
(d) The department shall prescribe the design of the wildlife conservation license plates authorized by this section in consultation with the public and other interested parties, which shall include an image of the bucking horse and rider described in W.S. 8-3-117. License plates authorized by this section need not include Arabic numerals designating the county. The department shall arrange for production of the license plates. Following initial approval, wildlife conservation license plates shall be subject to redesign on the same schedule as all license plates beginning with the year 2025 reissuance.
(e) The department may prepare any special forms and promulgate any rules necessary to carry out this section.
(f) Unless one thousand (1,000) sets of license plates are issued under this section before December 31, 2023, the plates authorized under this section shall be eliminated from production and the department shall report the cessation of production to the legislature not later than January 15, 2025.