INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Groups with specialty auto license plates would face new sales and financial reporting requirements under a proposal endorsed by an Indiana Senate committee.

The Senate’s transportation committee voted Tuesday to advance the bill to the full Senate. The bill would create an eight-member bipartisan panel to review requests from nonprofit groups and universities for specialty plates.

All groups with plates would have to sell 500 a year and undergo a financial review once a decade. The bill sets a limit of 150 specialty plates, while the state now has about 100 specialty plates.

The House approved the proposal last month after a similar push was derailed a year ago by social conservatives who led a drive to revoke the plate issued to a gay youth advocacy group.

Posted 3/5/2013