(a) This section shall be known, and may be cited, as the Rosenthal Blue Sky License Plate Program.

(b) The Legislature hereby finds and declares that CALSTART is a California nonprofit consortium dedicated to the development and commercialization of advanced transportation technologies, including clean fuel vehicles, and that CALSTART should be authorized to undertake a special environmental “Blue Sky” license plate program to facilitate the purchase and use of clean fuel vehicles in the state.

(c) CALSTART may, with the approval of the department, participate in this special interest license plate program.

(d) CALSTART may, with the approval of the department, develop a distinctive design, in conformance with Section 5060, for inclusion on a special interest license plate. The license plate shall be known as the Blue Sky license plate and shall signify that the vehicle to which it is assigned is a clean fuel vehicle.

(e) Any person who owns or leases a clean fuel vehicle, as defined in Section 257, and who applies for an original or renewal registration of that vehicle, may apply, through CALSTART, for a set of Blue Sky license plates in lieu of regular license plates.

(f) The Blue Sky license plate is subject to Sections 5106 and 5108. The revenues derived from the sale of the license plates shall be deposited in the California Environmental License Plate Fund, after the department has deducted its costs for developing and administering the program.

(g) Notwithstanding Section 5060, a Blue Sky license plate may, upon application of the holder, be transferred to another clean fuel vehicle. If the vehicle to which transfer is sought is not a clean fuel vehicle, the plates shall be surrendered to the department.

(h) CALSTART, in coordination with the State Air Resources Board, the State Energy Resources Conservation and Development Commission, and the Public Utilities Commission, shall undertake efforts to publicize the availability of Blue Sky license plates.

(i) Notwithstanding Section 5060, CALSTART shall have 12 months, commencing November 1, 1995, to receive the required applications and to notify the department that the requisite number of applications have been received. If, after that 12-month period, 5,000 applications have not been received, CALSTART shall immediately notify the department and refund to all applicants any fees or deposits which have been collected.

(j) If, on November 1, 1996, the department has not received a notice from CALSTART pursuant to subdivision (i) or if, on or before that date CALSTART notifies the department that the requisite number of applications have not been received, the department shall provide that information to the Secretary of State, and this section shall become inoperative upon receipt of that information by the Secretary of State, and shall remain in effect only until January 1, 1997, and as of that date is repealed, unless a later enacted statute, which is enacted before January 1, 1997, deletes or extends that date.

(Added by Stats. 1993, Ch. 1159, Sec. 5. Effective January 1, 1994. Conditionally inoperative as prescribed in subd. (j). If it became inoperative, this section was repealed on January 1, 1997, by its own provisions.)