(1) The department, in consultation with the Nebraska Sesquicentennial Commission and other interested persons, shall design license plates to be known as Nebraska 150 Sesquicentennial Plates to celebrate and commemorate the one-hundred-fiftieth year of statehood for Nebraska. The department shall ensure that the design reflects support for the sesquicentennial of the State of Nebraska.

(2) The design shall be selected on the basis of (a) enhancing the marketability of the plates to supporters of the sesquicentennial and (b) limiting the manufacturing cost of each plate to an amount less than or equal to the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102. The department shall make applications available for this type of plate when it is designed.

(3) One type of plate under this section shall be alphanumeric plates. The department shall:

(a) Assign a designation up to seven characters; and

(b) Not use a county designation.

(4) One type of plate under this section shall be personalized message plates. Such plates shall be issued subject to the same conditions specified for personalized message license plates in section 60-3,118.