Senator Nancy C. Detert, District 23 — Press Release

Detert Bill to Help Veterans

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Senator Nancy Detert, R-Venice, has filed Senate Bill 1190 to help veterans get discounts at retail stores.  Detert said she received a stack of letters from veterans in her district asking that she consider creating a veterans identification card.  Currently, the Department of Veterans Affairs issues a veterans ID card, but only to those veterans who are permanently and totally disabled.  Some retailers offer discounts when you show a veterans ID card, but unless you are a permanently and totally disabled veteran or possess an active military ID, you have no way of identifying yourself as a veteran.  Under Detert's bill, veterans, both active and retired, would present their DD-214 to the driver’s license office, pay one dollar, and have a “V” put on their driver’s license to signify their veteran status.  Detert hopes that if the bill passes, the many retailers who currently offer veterans a discount will accept the new means of identifying our veterans and grant them the discounts.
 
Because of state budget constraints, Detert was concerned with creating the new “V” code on the driver’s license if it was going to cost the state a lot of money.  However, the estimated cost to modify the software which would add the new code to the driver’s license would be $15,000.  With over 1.3 million honorably discharged veterans in our state, Detert said this is optional to veterans, only costs them a dollar, and will actually generate money for the state.
 
If Detert’s bill passes, she hopes that the veterans would be able to get their cards by October of this year, giving the state time to get the new software in place.

“This will be one small way to thank our veterans, both past and present, for their service” said Detert.