§ 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 or county
treasurer 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 or
county treasurer 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 or county
treasurer, plus any additional voluntary amount, the department
or county treasurer shall issue a written statement of
eligibility for wildlife conservation license plates. The
department or county treasurer 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 or county treasurer
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) 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.