CS/HB 67 passed the House Commerce Committee, its second and final House Committee, with an amendment filed by Representative Tommy Gregory (R-Sarasota), an attorney and entrepreneur, and a long-time foe of the specialty license plate program. The amendment reduces the allowable number of specialty plates to 125, instead of 150, despite opposition from Vice-Chair Brad Drake,  (R-. The amendment was passed on a voice call, which Chair Blaise Ingoglia (R- ) determined was in Rep Gregory's favor.
Democratic Reps Joseph Geller, Anika Tene Omphoy and Matt Wilhite all voiced opposition to the amendment. Republican Randall Scott Maggard (R-Dade City) whose occupation is listed as "Vice president of a corporation", said all plates should be audited (obviously not knowing that they are) and Republican Bob Rommell, (R-Naples) a restaurant owner, said if there was no cap there could be 5,000 plates and made a joke about Rep Jamie Grant no longer being present. Republican Charles Wesley "Chuck"  Clemons (R-Newberry) a college administrator, suggested that the proposed Auburn University plate should be stricken, apparently in jest.
With 123 existing specialty plates (according to the latest Senate Bill Analysis) and 2 more approved plus the nine 'Divine 9' specialty license plates that are currently waiting to be produced, the remaining 33 presale voucher plates who are frantically trying to complete their presale requirement, plus 10 more potentially being approved this session, will have no chance of actually ever being created.
Funds will continue to be taken from the citizens of Florida who support these proposed plates and the state will continue to collect the additional fees that those citizens pay.
The sponsor of the bill Rep Alex Rizo (R-Hialeah), an educator and small business owner, welcomed the amendment, despite knowing that the 5 plates that he was proposing under his bill would now have no chance of success, including proposed plates for Down Syndrome Awareness, Inter Miami CF, Florida Swims, Gopher Tortoise and Take Stock in Children, who had members in the audience.
The Senate companion bill, CS/SB 364, will appear before its final Senate Committee stop today, Appropriations, chaired by Senator Kelli Stargel (R-Lakeland), an investment property manager and vice chair Aaron Bean R-Jacksonville, President Pro Tempore and son of Lewis "Red" Bean, Fernandina Beach City Commissioner. This bill also includes proposed license plates for Safe Haven for Newborns, Pap Corps Champions for Cancer Research, Learn to Fly, Ethical Ecotourism and 'I Make Things' for the Florida Manufacturing and Logistics Council, as well as Inter Miami CF, Florida Swims, Down Syndrome and Gopher Tortoise, that are included in the House Bill.
The Senate version also seeks to reduce the presale voucher requirement to 2,500 from 3,000 and 4,000 for out of state colleges and extend the presale period by an additional 24 months.. The bill  has an effective date of when it becomes law.

According to the latest statistics released by FLHSMV, Endless Summer has 111,591 specialty license plates on the roads in Florida, with Helping Sea Turtles Survive trailing by more than 13,000. 
The new Walt Disney World plate is now already at number 30 with 18,330 already on the roads. The other two recently approved plates are Blue Angels at 77 (4,540) and Coastal Conservation/Redfish at 80 (3,729).
There are currently 121 specialty license plates, including the twenty ICUF plates that are allowed to combine their total sales to meet the minimum 3,000 annual requirement, although many of them also have existing college specialty plates on the road prior to the new law combining their sales and reducing them to a logo.
The nine 'Divine 9', Explore Off Road Florida and State Parks specialty plates have met the presale requirement and are currently being manufactured and will bring the total to 131, with a legislative cap of 150 in place right now. There are another 33 approved specialty plates trying to complete their presale voucher and a further 6 being contemplated in this years legislative session. A bill has also been filed to reduce the 3,000 (4,000 for out of state colleges) to 2,500 for all plates currently going through the process.
The DMV will also delist plates that do not meet the required minimum sales.

there are also 200,407 special military license plates, including 80,541 Disabled Veteran special plates. There are currently 4,280 Fraternal Order of Police plates, which requires membership in the organization to qualify to purchase it.

According to the latest statistics released by FLHSMV, the proposed Explore Off Road Florida and Divine 9 Florida specialty license plates have completed the required 3,000 presale voucher sales, to make those plates a reality. The plates will now be manufactured and go on sale in the next few months.
The next in line are America the Beautiful, Ducks Unlimited and Thank a Lineman.
Auburn University has sold 1,937 and University of Alabama has sold 1,384, but the existing rules require out-of-state colleges to sell 4,000 presale vouchers. There have been bills filed by Senator Bean and Representative Yarborough (SB364/HB891) in the upcoming Florida Legislative session that is now underway, that seek to reduce the out-of-state college requirements 3,000 and extend their deadline for completion by a further 2 years.
There are a number of other new specialty plates being proposed in the 2022 session, including Inter Miami CF, Ethical Ecotourism, Safe Haven for Newborns, Down Syndrome Awareness, Pap Corps Champions, as well as a proposal to privatize the specialty license plate program and approve the use of digital license plates.

​Representative Tommy Gregory, (R-Sarasota), an attorney and entrepreneur, educated at University of Texas School of Law, who was elected to the Florida House of Representatives in 2018, has filed a bill seeking to create the "Stop Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Act" which, if enacted, will prohibit local governments and Specialty License Plate Organizations from lobbying the Florida State Legislature. In the last legislative session, Rep Gregory spoke to the assembled House of Representatives and told them he fully intended to end the specialty license plate program. His first step is to completely ban any not-for-profit organization that receives any funds from the SLP program to be able to voice any opposition to his proposals in the following legislative session, where he will probably then take his second step that he has publicly announced.
HB 501 is the second of 18 bills filed by Rep Gregory, the first was HB 499 (companion to SB 1298 by Senator Joe Gruters), which seeks to prohibit any governmental entity from entering into agreements with professional sports team unless the agreement includes a written verification that the professional sports team will play the United States national anthem at the beginning of each team sporting event held at the team's home venue or other facility controlled by the team for the event. Failure to do so would result in a breach of agreement and immediately subject the team to any penalty the agreement authorizes for default, which may include requiring the team to repay any money paid to the team by the state or any governmental entity or classifying the team as ineligible to receive further money under the agreement and may subject the team to a prohibition on contracting with the state. The bill further states that if a governmental entity fails to timely enforce the provision, the attorney general may intervene to enforce the provision.

​Rep Gregory’s current Committee assignments are Judiciary Committee (Republican Committee Whip), Civil Justice & Property Rights Subcommittee, Criminal Justice & Public Safety Subcommittee, Justice Appropriations Subcommittee and the Regulatory Reform Subcommittee.
Another bill he has filed (HB 6091) seeks to remove language that requires that an agency, when determining whether a firm is qualified to perform certain services, operate with the object of effecting an equitable distribution of contracts among qualified firms.
HB 501 prohibits local governments and not-for-profit organizations from using public funds to retain lobbyists; provides exceptions for local government full-time employees; provides sanctions for violations; authorizes people to file complaints with the Commission on Ethics; requires commission to provide a report to specified entities; and specifies procedures for disciplining violators. The bill has been referred to Public Integrity & Elections Committee, Local Administration & Veterans Affairs Subcommittee and the State Affairs Committee.
The bill seeks to create a new statute, Section 11.063, Florida Statutes – the "Stop Taxpayer-Funded Lobbying Act." The first section relates to local government and states that any county, municipality, school district, or other political subdivision of the state and any department, agency, board, bureau, district, commission, authority, or similar body of a county, municipality, school district, or other political subdivision of the state, may not use public funds to retain a lobbyist to represent them before the legislative or executive branch. 

​However, the bill provides that they are allowed to use a full-time employee who may register as a lobbyist and represent them before the legislative or executive branch. Except as a full-time employee, a person may not accept public funds from a local government for lobbying. 
A local government that violates this subsection may be prohibited from lobbying the legislative or executive branch for a period not exceeding 2 years and a person who accepts public funds as compensation for lobbying in violation of this subsection may be prohibited from registering to lobby before the legislative or executive branch for a period not exceeding 2 years. 
In addition to those sanctions that may be levied against a local government or person for engaging in lobbying activities, a taxpayer or resident of the local government may file a civil action for injunctive relief to prevent the activity or to prohibit payments of public funds for that activity and a taxpayer or resident who prevails in an action may recover his or her reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred in bringing the action.
The second part of the bill pertains to any not-for-profit organization that receives public funds under the specialty license plate program. Representative Gregory might not be aware that the funds that the organizations receive from the SLP program are not ‘taxpayer funds’, rather voluntary contributions by Florda vehicle owners that are collected from the annual ‘user fee’ and, even according to the FLHSMV, are mostly tax-deductible. He is also probably not aware that FLHSMV deducts all the costs of administering the SLP program, over $750,000.00 annually, from those voluntary charitable contributions and that there is already a provision that precludes them from utilizing those funds for lobbying in another statute. 
However, his bill provides that such organizations may not retain a lobbyist, whether for compensation or otherwise, to represent the organization before the legislative or executive branch. There is no similar allowance for a nonprofit to use a full-time employee who may register as a lobbyist and represent them before the legislative or executive branch, as is provided for local governments in the first section of the bill.
A lobbyist may not represent a not-for-profit organization that receives public funds under the specialty license plate program before the legislative or executive branch. A lobbyist who violates this paragraph may be prohibited from registering to lobby before the legislative or executive branch for a period not exceeding 2 years. 

​This probably means that organizations that receive any SLP funds, cannot retain lobbyists at all, regardless of whether they are hired and paid through other sources. This would probably include Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, who routinely hire lobbyists every session, and Mote Marine. It does not seem to seek to prohibit FSU, UF and other colleges, sports teams or entities that hire many lobbyists every year and receive massive funding from the specialty license plate program.
In addition to the sanctions that may be levied against a lobbyist for representing the SLP nonprofit, a resident who prevails in an action may recover his or her reasonable attorney fees and costs incurred in bringing the action. 
Also, a resident of the state may file a written complaint with the Commission on Ethics alleging a violation of this section. The commission shall investigate and report its finding to the President of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Governor and Cabinet and based upon the report of the Commission on Ethics or upon its own finding that a violation of this subsection has occurred, a house of the Legislature may discipline the violator according to its rules, and the Governor or the Governor and Cabinet, as applicable, may prohibit the violator from lobbying before the executive branch for a period not exceeding 2 years after the date of the formal determination of a violation. The Commission on Ethics shall adopt rules necessary to conduct investigations under this subsection. 
This new act, if approved shall take effect July 1, 2022. In an election year, it might be quite difficult to get other members to support this, given campaign contributions will be in full force after the early session is concluded and many of those lobbyists who are involved with some of the targeted organizations have quite powerful check books.

​Rep Gregory has also filed bills for an appropriation of $350,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services to fund the Mote Marine Aquaculture Technology Transfer and $5,000,000 from the General Revenue Fund to the Department of Education to fund the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota.

​HB 555, filed by Rep Cord Byrd (R-Neptune Beach), an attorney, the 2nd of 41 bills he has filed, and SB 824 filed by Senator Joe Gruters (R-Sarasota), a CPA, the 13th of 41 bills he has filed, have also been filed which will require DHSMV to contract with a private vendor for the marketing and sale of certain license plates; provides contract requirements; authorizes DHSMV & LBC to jointly develop review process and approve certain new specialty license plates; authorizes private vendor to conduct presales; specifies minimum presale voucher requirement; authorizes DHSMV to approve new designs and color combinations; authorizes certain specialty license plate organizations to have plates marketed and sold by private vendor; requires that certain paid deposits and fees be credited to the private vendor; authorizes certain dealer and fleet specialty license plates to be ordered directly from the private vendor; requires vendor processing fee for certain requests; specifies minimum specialty plate registrations.
A similar bill was filed last session and it failed to get a single committee hearing.

The WOMEN’S BREAST & HEART INITIATIVE has revealed their design for their proposed new specialty license plate that is currently in the presale stage. 3,000 have to be sold prior to October 1, 2023 to make it a reality.
"The beautiful hues of teal and orange and the silhouettes represent the vibrancy of Florida –all of us moving together towards disease prevention & early detection."
Every voucher purchased will support their mission, to transform and save lives while providing the resources necessary to beat the odds of breast cancer and heart disease.
Vouchers may be purchased online here - or at your local Tax Collector's Office.

For more information on the Women's Breast & Heart Initiative, click here.
​

According to the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV), it is committed to "modernizing nearly every aspect of what we do and how customers access our services." As part of that commitment, FLHSMV is "stepping into the future and developing an intuitive mobile driver license – Florida Smart ID."
Spearheaded by Representative Chip LaMarca, HB 1313 was passed by the Florida Legislature earlier this year and the bill required the FLHSMV to establish a secure and uniform system for issuing optional digital proofs of driver licenses and identification cards. Under the bill, FLHSMV may contract with one or more private entities to develop an electronic credentialing system. The electronic credentialing system may not retain Internet Protocol addresses, geolocation data, or other information that describes the location, computer, computer system, or computer network from which a customer accesses the system.
In an update before a Senate panel in October, FLHSMV officials said the Florida Smart-ID app was already live but not available to the public. The department said it was on schedule to put the digital ID public on the Apple App Store and Android Google Play store in mid-November.
Senate Transportation Committee Chair Gayle Harrell called smartphones a marvelous tool for digital driver’s licenses and other identifications.The state began the process to develop digital driver’s licenses in 2014, with many failed attempts by legislators trying to get the technology approved by the state legislature prior to this year, particularly by former state representative Jamie Grant, who abruptly ended his reelection campaign in 2020 to become the state's first Chief Information Officer. No doubt the real driving force behind the adoption of the technology. In his new role, Grant will oversee Florida Digital Service (FDS), which aims to transform delivery of government services to Floridians through design and technology.
[If you have questions regarding Florida Smart ID, please email [email protected].]
When he stepped down to take his new position, he stated: “I’m honored to lead the charge for digital innovation in Florida and excited to leverage technology to problem solve and rapidly respond to individuals, families, and businesses seeking to engage with state government,” Grant said. “Through new technology, top talent, and private and public sector collaboration, we will fundamentally change the way we serve and communicate with the people of Florida.”
Grant was one of the chief architects of FDS. In the 2020 Session, he sponsored the bill creating the service as a replacement for the Division of State Technology. It is charged with maintaining state data, setting up testing environments to demo state software before it’s rolled out, and facilitating data sharing between government agencies.
“Governor DeSantis and I are dedicated to transforming the way government deploys technology to better serve Floridians, who deserve superior customer service and expect government to operate effectively,” DMS Secretary Jonathan Satter said. “I’m confident that Rep. Grant’s pioneering mindset and policy acumen will help us recruit the brightest tech talent to serve in government and accelerate digital transformation in our state.”
Grant was among the more tech savvy lawmakers in the House, often sponsoring legislation to modernize state government operations. His business background includes work as a senior solutions architect as well as technology strategist in medtech, blockchain, and software as a service.

The Florida Smart ID app is a secure version of your driver license, which can be downloaded on your smart device when launched. It is not simply a photo of your license. When used with an associated Florida Smart ID Verifier, customers can provide a safe, trusted and contactless proof of identity or age.
After downloading and authenticating, Florida motorists will simply launch their Florida Smart ID app, select the type of verification needed, and display the QR/barcode on their smart device to be scanned for verification. The smart device does not need to leave the owner’s hand when being verified by a retailer or by law enforcement, making Florida Smart ID a contact-free and convenient way to display proof of identity or age.
In the future, Florida residents will be able to apply for a Florida Smart ID that is easily accessible on iOS and Android devices, including smartphones, tablets and other smart devices. Florida Smart ID is an optional tool for Floridians as a convenient, digital and secure backup to your physical Florida driver license.
However, it does not replace the physical driver license yet, which will still need to be carried when operating a motor vehicle. Hopefully, this will be embraced soon, and, hopefully, other digital technologies will follow, including the approval of digital license plates.

When launched, Florida motorists can download and activate the optional and easy-to-use Florida Smart ID for a contact-free and convenient way to display proof of identity or age. 
To gather important feedback from the public and partners, the department is currently hosting Florida Smart ID pilot events with limited participants from across the state, representing the general public, retailers, law enforcement partners, and more. The pilot will allow FLHSMV to improve and optimize Florida Smart ID and an associated verifier application prior to the statewide launch.
If you have questions regarding Florida Smart ID, please email [email protected].

​A State of California Department of Motor Vehicles report on Specialized (Specialty) License plates for 2019 reveals startling effects of how marketing may impact sales of specialty license plates.
According to the report there may be a direct impact of the amount of marketing expenditures on the actual annual revenue generated from certain specialty license plates, although the report does not comment or reveal the types of marketing that were implemented.

The Kids specialty license plate utilized 21.15% in marketing fees and generated $3,513,857.00. The Coastal (Whale Tail) tag expended 14.66% in marketing fees and generated $1,304,004.00. In comparison, the Breast Cancer Awareness license plate used 0% for marketing and collected $244,606.68 in revenue and the California Cultural/Historical Endowment (Snoopy) plate utilized 5.78% in marketing fees and collected $391,212.90 in total revenue.
Since the introduction of the Legacy plate, the retro black plate with yellow writing, there has been a significant decline in revenue for most of the other specialty license plates in California. The Legacy plate is generating in excess of $30 million total revenue annually for the Environmental License Plate Fund.

Other than 'Explore our State Parks,' 30A.com/Scenic Walton tops the list of voucher sales for the new batch.

​A bill that would let drivers buy the license plate that graced Garden State cars and trucks between 1979 and 1991 that was proposed more than a year ago by State Senator Kristen Corrado, R-Passaic, cleared a crucial committee Monday and is a step closer to putting the blue plate special in drivers’ hands.
The state senate Transportation Committee voted 6-0 Monday to release the bill that she introduced on Nov. 16, 2020. A companion bill in the state Assembly that was also proposed in Nov. 2020 hasn’t been as lucky. It is still waiting for a hearing by that body’s transportation and independent authorities committee.
The next step for Corrado’s bill, S-3181, would be posting it for a vote by the full Senate.
The target audience for the throwback license plates are car collectors who would be likely to buy a vintage style license plate to adorn their classic ride, Corrado said.
“The idea to revive New Jersey’s vintage license plate was recommended by a constituent,” she said in a statement. “Many New Jerseyans, especially classic car enthusiasts, favor the vintage license plate design that gained popularity in the ‘80s. My legislation will actually give drivers the opportunity to purchase something that is truly different and unique.”

New Jersey wouldn’t be the first state to do it. That honor goes to California and Montana. California's legacy black plate with yellow writing that resembles the 1963 plate and is very popular, raising in excess of $50 million per year.  Montana also lets motorists choose from any one of the previous passenger base license plates, back to 1987.
Neighboring New York state has a variation of that concept. It offers drivers the opportunity to register a classic car that is at least 25 years old using a set of vintage New York license plates that were issued the year the vehicle was manufactured that the owner already possesses.
“Various states have brought back retro license plates and found there to be great demand,” Corrado said. “In fact, these plates have proven to be very profitable.”
There’s a long road before the baby blue plate can join the other specialty license plates offered by the MVC. First, there has to be enough of a demand by drivers to cover the $25,000 cost to design, produce and market the throwback license plate, before any are made.
The plate would cost $50 to buy and an additional $10 annually, added to the vehicle registration fee.
Since the proposed laws require sales of specialty license plates to cover their costs, Corrado said in an earlier interview there is little cost or financial risk to the state.
“The way the legislation is structured, there’s no reason not to do it,” she said.

The new Miami Heat specialty license plate design is available for purchase from December 6, 2021. It can be purchased online here.
​The new design replaces the slogan 'American Airlines Arena' with 'FTX Arena.'

According to the FLHSMV, as of November 1, 2021, the Heat specialty license plate has the fifth highest number of plates on Florida roads: 60,706. In 2020, the Miami Heat specialty license plate collected $1,244,675,00, up from $1,144,300.00 in 2019.

AmericanAirlines Arena officially became FTX Arena in June, 2021, with the home of the Miami Heat now named for the cryptocurrency exchange.
The renaming was made at a “Trading Day” event at the arena, with Heat President Eric Woolworth, FTX Chief Executive Officer Sam Bankman-Fried and Miami-Dade County Mayor Danielle Levine Cava among those in attendance, as well as Heat players Bam Adebayo and Udonis Haslem. The Heat’s three NBA championship trophies were featured prominently on stage for the event.
American Airlines signage at the arena was removed shortly after the Heat’s first-round elimination from the NBA playoffs.
According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, The name change is part of a 19-year, $135 million rights agreement with FTX, which also has established a partnership with the Heat. The 19-year term coincides with the remaining term of Heat’s lease at the facility.
Under the arena’s operating agreement, naming rights for the facility that hosts the three-time NBA champion are negotiated by the Miami-Dade County in coordination with the Heat.
The county’s agreement calls for an annual payment of $2 million per year from the naming rights to the Heat.

​Since 1996 the HEAT and the Florida Sports Foundation have been partnered in support of Florida’s youth and sports. The proceeds from the annual sale and renewal of the Miami HEAT license plate benefit The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund and the Florida Sports Foundation Major & Regional Grant Program.
The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund supports programs for the betterment of at-risk families in South Florida. Beneficiaries include SafeSpace, a domestic violence shelter for women and children, the Jackson Memorial Foundation’s Guardian Angels and Holtz Children’s Hospital, and the Miami Coalition for a Safe and Drug-Free Community. The Miami HEAT Charitable Fund also provides educational scholarships for high school seniors and partners with inner-city elementary schools to fund the HEAT Academy, which provides after-school tutoring and mentoring programs. Through these initiatives, the Miami HEAT Charitable Fund continues to inspire the youth of South Florida to envision their dreams and achieve their goals.