Bill > AB2541

This bill requires the California Arts Council, a state agency that promotes and supports arts resources and statewide communities, to apply to the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to create a new "The Lowrider" specialized license plate celebrating California's lowrider culture and heritage, which originated in the state in the mid-1940s and grew alongside the Chicano movement as a form of artistic expression and cultural identity. The legislation instructs the Arts Council to collaborate with a community-based nonprofit organization—prioritizing those with a history of supporting the lowrider community, Latino culture, and youth development—to handle plate design consultation, stakeholder engagement, and community outreach, while allowing the council to accept donated artwork and private funds for the program's setup. Furthermore, the bill mandates that extra revenue generated from the purchase, renewal, and transfer of these specialized plates—after the DMV covers its administrative expenses—be deposited into the state's Specialized License Plate Fund, which the Arts Council will then use, upon legislative approval, to finance lowrider arts, cultural preservation efforts, public exhibitions, and youth and educational programs.