(a) A member of the general assembly, complying with the title and registration law and upon payment of the regular license fee appropriate to the vehicle's design or use as prescribed in this chapter, plus payment of the additional fee provided for in § 55-4-204, shall be issued a registration plate as provided for in this part.

(b) The design of the special purpose license plates shall be rectangular in shape, white in color with all letters and numbers in blue and the great seal of Tennessee in gold. There shall be centered on the upper edge, the word “Tennessee” or “Tenn” enclosed in a drawing of the state, with the current year of registration designated in the upper left and right corners of the rectangle; centered on the lower edge shall be the word or words “Senate” or “House” as may be appropriate; on the left half of the plate shall be the great seal of the state of Tennessee; and on the right half of the plate the member may at option use the member's initials or other letters if the total number of characters making up the configuration does not exceed four (4) rather than the number assigned to the member. The design of the plate shall not be used by any other branch or agency of the state.

(c) The suffixes provided for in § 55-4-203(b)(2), shall be assigned by the speaker of each house. The same numbers assigned in the first year of the biennial for a general assembly shall be assigned for the second year.

(d) A member, optionally, may use initials or other letters if the total number of characters does not exceed four (4). In the event there is a conflict with respect to like letters, the first applicant to the department shall be entitled to preference.

(e) Members of the general assembly may be entitled to special purpose plates for additional automobiles owned by the members or their immediate families. These additional plates may bear the same legend as the first assigned tags but shall be distinguished therefrom by the addition of letters A, B, or C; provided, that the letters do not exceed the requirements of this part.

(f) The special plates shall be delivered to the several county clerks for issuance during each registration renewal period as provided in § 55-4-207, except that the registrar of motor vehicles may make direct issue of the plates to the members upon proper application being made, if the plates can be prepared for direct issuance prior to March 1.

(g) This section shall not be construed to mean that any member shall be prevented from exchanging a regular type plate for one of special design in the course of a given registration year.

(h) The commissioner is authorized to facilitate the continued utilization of existing, issued special purpose plates by a member of the general assembly upon the member's reelection through the issuance of decals or by any other means as to effectuate this subsection (h). Any method of continued utilization shall only be available for plates previously issued to members of the general assembly or their immediate families. Upon ineligibility under this section, any special purpose plates issued shall be surrendered to the department and the department shall issue a regular registration plate valid for the same period as the surrendered special purpose plate. The continued use of existing, issued special purpose plates upon reelection shall be accomplished in a manner that maximizes efficiency and costs and is not unduly burdensome to either the department or county clerks.