Choose Life - Virginia

Welcome to Richmond Coalition for Life

Click on this DMV link to switch to Choose Life plates
. Tell your friends to switch too!

Richmond Coalition for Life is a non-profit organization that sponsored the Choose Life license plate that became available in Virginia on July 1, 2009. Virginia State Senator Ken Cuccinelli was the chief patron of the legislation during the Virginia General Assembly 2009 session which made the Choose Life plate available to Virginians. Senator Cuccinelli resigned as 37th District State Senator in January 2010 to become Attorney General of
Virginia.

Now that more than 1000 registrations have been received by DMV, $15 of the $25 annual specialty plate fees will be distributed annually to pregnancy center locations in Virginia that are 501(c)(3) entities and have officially committed to the "Our Commitment of Care" standards, which can be viewed on
this link for Heartbeat International.

Richmond Coalition for Life is grateful for the support of so many
Virginians who applied for the plate, signed petitions in support, and lobbied General Assembly and the Governor.

Please encourage your parish, church, local pregnancy center or other group to put an announcement in their monthly newsletters and send an e-mail out to their lists periodically to help make Choose Life the most popular specialty plate in Virginia. Click on this <http://www.vachoose-life.org/links_media.php> link to download sample newsletter articles and e-mails.

The specialty license plate bill language signed by Governor Kaine on March 30, 2009 is below. The Choose Life license plate begins in Section 3 (§ 3) also available on this
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?091+ful+CHAP0755+pdf> link.

CHAPTER 755

An Act to authorize the issuance of special license plates promoting tourism and conservation on the Northern Neck, for supporters of the Shenandoah National Park Trust, and for supporters of the Choose Life Virginia Fund, and to repeal § 46.2-749.49:1
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-749.49C1> of the Code of Virginia, relating to special license plates for supporters of the Shenandoah National Park Association.

[S 817]

Approved March 30, 2009

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. Special license plates promoting tourism and conservation on the Northern Neck; fees.

A. On receipt of an application and payment of the fee prescribed by this section, and following the provisions of § 46.2-725
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-725> of the Code of Virginia other than those relating to the fee for the plates and its disposition, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue to the applicant special license plates promoting tourism and conservation on the Northern Neck.

B. The annual fee for plates issued pursuant to this section shall be $25 in addition to the prescribed fee for state license plates. For each such $25 fee collected in excess of 1,000 registrations pursuant to this section, $15 shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to a special nonreverting fund known as the Northern Neck Land Conservancy Fund established within the Department of Accounts. These funds shall be paid annually to the Northern
Neck Land Conservancy and used to support its operation and programs. All other fees imposed under the provisions of this section shall be paid to, and received by, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and paid by him into the state treasury and set aside as a special fund to be used to meet the necessary expenses incurred by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

§ 2. Special license plates for supporters of the Shenandoah National Park Trust; fees.

A. On receipt of an application and payment of the fee prescribed by this section, and following the provisions of § 46.2-725
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-725> of the Code of Virginia other than those relating to the fee for the plates and its disposition, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue special license plates to and supporters of the Shenandoah National Park Trust.

B. The annual fee for plates issued pursuant to this section shall be $25 in addition to the prescribed fee for state license plates. For each such $25 fee collected in excess of 1,000 registrations pursuant to this section, $15 shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to a special nonreverting fund known as the Shenandoah National Park Trust Fund established within the
Department of Accounts. These funds shall be paid annually to the Shenandoah National Park Trust and used to support its activities and programs in the Commonwealth. All other fees imposed under the provisions of this section shall be paid to, and received by, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and paid by him into the state treasury and set aside as a special fund to be used to meet the necessary expenses incurred by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

§ 3. Special license plates for supporters of the Choose Life Virginia Fund; fees.

A. On receipt of an application and payment of the fee prescribed by this section, and following the provisions of § 46.2-725
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-725> of the Code of Virginia other than those relating to the fee for the license plates and its disposition, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall issue special license plates bearing the legend CHOOSE LIFE to supporters of the Choose Life Virginia Fund, prescribed in subsection B.

B. The annual fee for license plates issued pursuant to this section shall be $25 in addition to the prescribed fee for state license plates. For each such $25 fee collected in excess of 1,000 registrations pursuant to this section, $15 shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to a special nonreverting fund known as the Choose Life Virginia Fund established within the Department of Accounts. These funds shall be paid annually to Heartbeat International, Inc., to be distributed in equal grants to pregnancy center locations in Virginia that are tax exempt organizations under § 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code and officially committed to Heartbeat International's "Our Commitment of Care" standards. Choose Life Virginia Fund distributed funds are to be used to provide services to pregnant women and women who suspect that they may be pregnant in Virginia and may be refused within 60 days by return to the Choose Life Virginia Fund. The Commissioner shall provide annually to Heartbeat International, Inc., a summary report for the annual reporting period containing (i) Choose Life Virginia initial plate issuances and renewals (both counts and dollars) and
(ii) the return address to be used if a pregnancy center location wishes to refuse to receive Choose Life Virginia funds. All other fees imposed under the provisions of this section shall be paid to, and received by, the Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles, and paid by him into the state treasury and set aside as a special fund to be used to meet the necessary expenses incurred by the Department of Motor Vehicles.

2. That § 46.2-749.49:1
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-749.49C1> of the Code of Virginia is repealed.

3. That, notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this act, special license plates issued to supporters of the Shenandoah National Park Association pursuant to § 46.2-749.49:1
<http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+46.2-749.49C1> of the Code of Virginia prior to July 1, 2009, shall remain valid until their expiration date, but shall be renewed thereafter under the provisions of subsection B of § 2 of this act.

(Richmond Coalition for Life will not receive any funds raised by the Choose Life plates.)

Revised: October 29, 2012