Senate 1023

WEST VIRGINIA LEGISLATURE

2026 REGULAR SESSION

Introduced

Senate Bill 1023

By Senator M. Maynard

[Introduced February 20, 2026; referred
to the Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure; and then to the Committee on Finance]

A BILL to amend the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding a new section, designated §17A-10-16a, relating to creating a "responsible recreation" special license plate; establishing a special revenue fund; dedicating proceeds to responsible off-highway vehicle education, signage, and stewardship; providing for administration by the Division of Natural Resources; and authorizing partnerships with qualified nonprofit organizations.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 10. FEES FOR REGISTRATION, LICENSING, ETC.

§17A-10-16a. Responsible Recreation special license plate; fee; fund; administration; use of proceeds.

(a) Plate created. – The West Virginia Division of Motor Vehicles shall establish and issue a special registration plate to be known as the "Responsible Recreation" license plate, which shall bear a design and logo approved by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in consultation with the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources.

(b) Eligibility. – The Responsible Recreation license plate may be issued to owners of Class A motor vehicles registered in this state in the same manner as other special registration plates.

(c) Fee. – In addition to all other fees required by law, there shall be a $50 initial issuance fee and a $25 annual renewal fee for the issuance or renewal of a Responsible Recreation license plate.

(d) Disposition of fees. – The Division of Motor Vehicles shall retain an amount sufficient to cover its administrative costs associated with issuance of the plate. All remaining moneys collected under this section shall be deposited into a special revenue account in the State Treasury to be known as the Responsible Recreation Fund.

(e) Responsible Recreation Fund established. – The Responsible Recreation Fund is hereby created as a special revenue fund in the State Treasury. The fund shall be administered by the Division of Natural Resources. Moneys in the fund shall be expended only in accordance with this section and shall not revert to the General Revenue Fund. Moneys in the fund may accumulate from year to year and shall not expire or revert.

(f) Permitted uses. – Moneys in the Responsible Recreation Fund may be used solely for the following purposes:

(1) Responsible operation and safety education for all-terrain vehicles (ATVs), utility terrain vehicles (UTVs), and other off-highway vehicles;

(2) Development and placement of signage related to lawful use, safety, environmental protection, and protection of public rights-of-way;

(3) Volunteer-based stewardship programs on public county roads and public trail systems, including trash removal, light maintenance, and erosion prevention activities;

(4) Educational materials, outreach campaigns, and training programs that promote lawful and responsible recreation; and

(5) Reasonable administrative and program implementation expenses directly related to management, coordination, oversight, and delivery of programs funded under this section, including costs associated with agreements authorized under subsection (h) of this section.

(g) Prohibited uses. – Moneys in the fund may not be used for large-scale construction, land acquisition, or general marketing or advertising unrelated to responsible recreation education or stewardship. Expenditures shall be limited to targeted education and stewardship activities intended to preserve public access and protect existing rights-of-way.

(h) Partnerships. – The Division of Natural Resources may enter into agreements with a qualified nonprofit organization to assist with implementation of programs, project delivery, and grant management under this section. To qualify, the nonprofit organization shall:

(1) Have demonstrated national expertise in responsible recreation education and ethics programming;

(2) Maintain active cooperative agreements or formal partnerships with federal land management agencies, including but not limited to the United States Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management;

(3) Have a documented history of implementing statewide or multi-state stewardship and access programs;

(4) Maintain an established nationally recognized responsible recreation ethics framework;

(5) Possess administrative capacity to manage grant programs, volunteer coordination, and performance reporting; and

(6) Demonstrate the ability to coordinate across state agencies, local governments, and recreation stakeholder groups.

All funds shall remain under state control. All expenditures shall be subject to state audit, and the Division shall retain final approval authority over projects and expenditures.

The Division may compensate such nonprofit organization for services rendered under the agreement, including program coordination, grant administration, volunteer management, reporting, and reasonable administrative support costs necessary to deliver the programs authorized under this section.

Agreements entered into pursuant to this subsection may include dedicated program coordination and staffing necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, subject to available funding.

(i) Design and Style of Plate. – The Responsible Recreation license plate shall be designed in a simple, historic style featuring a solid black background with white alphanumeric characters. The plate shall not include additional slogans, graphics, logos, or decorative elements. The final layout, character configuration, and manufacturing specifications shall be determined by the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in consultation with the Division of Natural Resources and shall comply with all state requirements for legibility, visibility, and law enforcement standards.

(j) Reporting. – On or before December 1 of each year, the Division of Natural Resources shall submit a report to the Joint Committee on Government and Finance detailing:

(1) Revenues deposited into the Responsible Recreation Fund;

(2) Expenditures made from the fund;

(3) Projects supported; and

(4) Measurable outcomes related to education, safety, and stewardship.

(k) Rulemaking. – The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles and the Director of the Division of Natural Resources may propose rules in accordance with §29A-3-1 et seq. of this code to implement this section.

NOTE: The purpose of this bill is to create a "Responsible Recreation" special license plate and establish a special revenue fund.

Strike-throughs indicate language that would be stricken from a heading or the present law and underscoring indicates new language that would be added.