Authority: Title 46.2, Chapters 1 and 2, and § 46.2-697.1; Title 58.1, Chapters 17, 21, and 24, Code of Virginia.

A. The Department of Transportation shall reimburse the Department of Motor Vehicles for the operating costs of the Fuels Tax Evasion Program.

B. The Commissioner of the Department of Motor Vehicles shall conduct a study of the costs and benefits of regular replacement of vehicle license plates. Participants in the study shall include representatives of law enforcement, including the State Police, sheriffs and local chiefs of police, and the Commissioners of Revenue. The study shall include, but not be limited to (i) a determination of the cost of manufacture of a set of Virginia license plates, and a comparison of these costs with other states; (ii) an evaluation of the Council of State Government's estimate that a minimum of four percent of all vehicles are not legally registered, and the fiscal impact of this estimate applied to Virginia; (iii) the life expectancy of license plates and a determination of how often plates should be replaced; and, (iv) estimated costs for phasing in a regular license plate replacement program and estimated net savings or loss for all parties associated with regular license plate replacement.