House File 305, introduced Feb. 17, 2025, seeks to redirect revenue from voluntary blackout specialty license plates from the Driver and Vehicle Services (DVS) operating account into the Highway User Tax Distribution (HUTD) fund.

Peng Zhang, director of the Driver and Vehicle Services Division, testified that blackout-plate contribution fees are voluntary special-plate fees that currently support DVS operations. Zhang said the blackout plate revenue is an approximately $8,000,000-per-year voluntary contribution and that transferring it would reduce DVS's available operating revenue and likely cause a deficit in the DVS operating account. "Transferring the blackout special plate to the highway user tax distribution fund will result in an increase of 1 quarter of 1% of the $6,300,000,000 in tax revenues forecast to be collected into the highway user tax distribution fund over the biennium," Zhang said.

Representative Ream offered an A1 amendment to earmark blackout-plate revenue for driver's exam staffing, exam stations and related costs until DVS met performance goals. Proponents of the amendment argued the money should be used specifically to address testing capacity; opponents said DVS had already hired 30 staff funded by last year's appropriation and that permanently earmarking the blackout revenue risked depleting the DVS operating account.

The A1 amendment failed on a roll call, 7 ayes to 8 nays. The roll call on the amendment recorded votes as: Chair Kosnick (No); Vice Chair Myers (No); Representative Anderson (No); Representative Berg (Yes); Representative Fogelman (No); Representative Green (Yes); Representative Jones (Yes); Representative Joy (Yes); Representative Kraft (Yes); Representative Murphy (No); Representative Olsen (No); Representative Ream (Yes); Representative Sensory Murrow (Yes); Representative Scrabba (No); Representative Tabke (Yes). After debate the committee laid House File 305 over for further consideration.