TN Code § 55-4-317 (2021)
2021 Tennessee Code|Title 55 - Motor and Other Vehicles|Chapter 4 - Registration and Licensing of Motor Vehicles|Part 3 - Special License Plates — Continued|§ 55-4-317. Animal Friendly

  An owner or lessee of a motor vehicle who is a resident of this state, upon complying with state motor vehicle laws relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and paying the regular fee applicable to the motor vehicle and the fee provided for in § 55-4-204, shall be issued an “Animal Friendly” new specialty earmarked license plate for a motor vehicle authorized by § 55-4-210(c).   The new specialty earmarked plates provided for in this section shall contain an appropriate image, design or logo that depicts an animal or animals and indicates support for animal welfare.     The funds produced from the sale of “Animal Friendly” new specialty earmarked license plates, pursuant to § 55-4-301 shall be deposited in a special fund in the general fund to be used exclusively for grants to nonprofit organizations or governmental agencies to provide low-cost spaying and neutering of unsterilized animals to prevent and/or reduce animal overpopulation as well as funding to defray costs incurred by the department of agriculture associated with the licensing of dog and cat dealers pursuant to title 44, chapter 17, part 1, not to exceed eighty thousand dollars ($80,000) per year and not to be available to the department for such purposes after July 1, 2004. It is the intent of the general assembly that the department sustain a grant program to spay and neuter clinics in fiscal years 2003 and 2004 that at least approximates the level of grant allocations in fiscal year 2002 subject to satisfactory qualifications of the respective applicants.   During the first fiscal year in which revenues derived from the fees collected pursuant to title 44, chapter 17, part 1, exceed one hundred thirty thousand dollars ($130,000), the department of agriculture shall allocate all the revenues in excess of one hundred thirty thousand dollars ($130,000) to the animal population control endowment fund. The department of agriculture shall continue the procedure outlined in the preceding sentence during subsequent fiscal years until such time as the department has made reimbursements to the animal population control endowment fund in a total amount of one hundred sixty thousand dollars ($160,000). The commissioner of agriculture is authorized to make grants to eligible organizations to operate animal sterilization programs from moneys available in the special fund.     There is established a general fund reserve to be allocated by the general appropriations act which shall be known as the “animal population control endowment fund.” Moneys from the fund may be expended to fund activities authorized by this section. Any revenues deposited in this reserve shall remain in the reserve until expended for purposes consistent with this section, and shall not revert to the general fund on any June 30. Any excess revenues on interest earned by the revenues shall not revert on any June 30, but shall remain available for appropriation in subsequent fiscal years. Any appropriation from this reserve shall not revert to the general fund on any June 30, but shall remain available for expenditure in subsequent fiscal years.   All revenues produced from the sale and renewal of the new specialty earmarked plates authorized by this section shall be allocated in accordance with § 55-4-301.     “Animal Friendly” new specialty earmarked license plates shall bear the legend “Spay/Neuter”; provided, that plates bearing the legend “Spay/Neuter” shall only be issued after existing supplies of animal friendly plates are exhausted through routine issuance or reissuance.