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Bill

HB 962

Create the Blue Star Mothers of America license plate

136th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Sarah Fowler Arthur and 6 co-sponsors

Creates a Blue Star Mothers of America license plate program and directs its contributions to a wide set of charitable, educational, health, veteran, and community organizations in

Referred to committee
#militaryandveterans #motorvehicles #publicsafety #specialdesignations #transportation #vehicleregistrationandtitling
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Bill Summary · HB 962

Summary of HB 962 (Ohio, 136th General Assembly)

Purpose and main idea

  • Creates and funds the “Blue Star Mothers of America” license plate by amending Revised Code sections related to license plate contributions.
  • Establishes a comprehensive framework for directing revenue from specialty license plate contributions to a wide array of charitable, educational, health, and public-interest organizations and programs across Ohio.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 4501.21 establishes the License Plate Contribution Fund in the state treasury. This fund collects all contributions for specialty license plates paid by motor vehicle registrants.
  • The bill outlines the cleared disbursement path for contributions, specifying for each section or license plate program where funds go and for what purposes.
  • For each designated code section (e.g., 4503.491, 4503.492, etc.), the bill names a recipient organization or fund and describes allowable uses. Examples include:
    • Breast cancer-related programs (breast cancer fund of Ohio) to assist patients and improve access to care, clinical trials, and education (no abortion-related activities).
    • Cancer-related and disease-focused charities (e.g., Autism Society of Ohio, National MS Society chapters, pancreatic cancer foundation, sickle cell associations, St. Baldrick’s, Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Ohio, etc.).
    • Educational and scholarship-focused entities (4-H, FFA, Ohio State alumni-related funds, universities like Notre Dame, Marshall University, Purdue University, etc.).
    • A variety of charitable, cultural, historical, health, and community organizations (e.g., National Aquarium-related programs, Buckeye Buckeyes scholarships, Circleville Pumpkin Show, local zoos, veterans and law enforcement memorials, mental health organizations, animal welfare groups, conservation and wildlife programs, etc.).
    • Specific fund distribution conditions include: equal distribution among chapters, restrictions on certain uses (e.g., no political activity), and requirements that funds be used in line with each organization’s stated mission.
    • Some license plate revenues flow directly to school districts, colleges, and universities for tuition assistance or programs aligned with student well-being and services (e.g., counseling, bullying prevention, suicide prevention, etc.), subject to 501(c)(3) exemption requirements for hired organizations.
    • The bill also authorizes contributions to major sport-related and travel destination funds (e.g., Pro Football Hall of Fame travel destination, etc.) and to organizations focusing on veterans, disaster relief, and environmental stewardship.
  • Section 4501.21(B) includes numerous cross-references to specific sections (4503.491 through 4503.955, and others) detailing where funds should be allocated and the intended use for each recipient.
  • The bill specifies that recipient organizations must deposit funds into their own general or designated accounts and use the money in accordance with their stated programmatic purposes; some funds require agreements between the registrar and the recipient to effectuate distribution.
  • A broad set of recipients includes universities, nonprofit associations, foundations, museums, youth organizations, mental health and addiction recovery groups, veteran and police memorials, environmental and conservation groups, and community service organizations.
  • Several provisions limit the use of funds (e.g., no abortion information or services; funds must be used for charitable, educational, or service-oriented purposes; some schools may use funds for tuition assistance or student services with specified protections).
  • The bill creates a structured mechanism to channel revenue from license plate contributions into a wide-ranging portfolio of Ohio-based initiatives.

Who and what would be affected

  • Motor vehicle registrants who purchase specialty license plates would contribute to the License Plate Contribution Fund.
  • A broad array of nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, health and disease-focused groups, veterans and law enforcement organizations, cultural and historical societies, wildlife and environmental groups, and community service entities would receive funding.
  • Public schools and higher education institutions could receive funds for tuition assistance or student services, subject to eligibility and restrictions.
  • The Ohio Department of Public Safety (via the registrar of motor vehicles) would administer and disburse funds to approved recipients per the statute.

Procedural and timeline considerations

  • The bill amends existing Ohio Revised Code sections and adds a new section (1 4503.538) to create the Blue Star Mothers of America license plate program. This implies:
    • Administrative setup by the registrar of motor vehicles to collect and allocate contributions.
    • Allocation of funds requires ongoing administration, annual or periodic distributions per statute, and inter-agency or recipient agreements where applicable.
  • No specific implementation dates or phase-in timelines are stated in the introduced text; the actual schedule would be determined during legislative and regulatory implementation and subsequent rulemaking.
  • The bill includes explicit prohibitions on abortion-related use of funds and requires funds to be used in alignment with each recipient’s mission and non-profit status requirements (e.g., 501(c)(3) eligibility).

Notable considerations for readers

  • The bill significantly broadens the use of license plate contributions by creating a centralized fund with detailed, recipient-specific allocation rules.
  • It emphasizes transparency and alignment with charitable, educational, health, and veteran-focused goals, while avoiding abortion-related activities.
  • The scope is wide, including national and local organizations, universities in and outside Ohio, and a multitude of Ohio-based charities and programs.

If you’d like, I can summarize the specific allocations by recipient category or extract key financial or date-related details as the bill progresses through committee and amendments.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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