In 2001, the 57th Montana Legislature passed the Generic Specialty License Plate Act, allowing the Department of Justice to issue specialty license plates sponsored by qualified organizations or governmental bodies. These plates are specially designed with distinctive backgrounds, colors or phrases that identify the sponsoring organization. The number format differs from the standard issue plate in that it has three letters and three numbers without a county designator. Under the Act, the Motor Vehicle Division determines if an organization or governmental body is qualified as a specialty plate sponsor and sets guidelines that govern the appearance of any specialty plate. Prior to the Act, the approval of license plates was left to the Legislature with the body voting on every group, mainly military groups, that wanted to offer plates. In 2002, the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial and Glacier National Park plates were the first specialty plates offered to the public.