Florida Senate - 2015 SB 112
By Senator Hays
11-00019-15 2015112__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to special license plates; amending s.
3 320.089, F.S.; authorizing the Department of Highway
4 Safety and Motor Vehicles to issue a Distinguished
5 Flying Cross license plate; specifying qualifications
6 and requirements for the plate; providing that the use
7 of proceeds from the sale of the plate will be made
8 according to certain established guidelines; providing
9 an effective date.
10
11 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
12
13 Section 1. Section 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to
14 read:
15 320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
16 of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
17 recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
18 reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
19 Combat Action Badge recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean
20 War Veterans; Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield
21 Veterans; Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring
22 Freedom Veterans; and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; and
23 Distinguished Flying Cross recipients; special license plates;
24 fee.—
25 (1)(a) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
26 private use or recreational vehicle as specified in s.
27 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for hire or commercial
28 use, who is a resident of the state and a veteran of the United
29 States Armed Forces, an active or retired member of the Florida
30 National Guard, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a
31 recipient of the Purple Heart medal, an active or retired member
32 of any branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or a
33 recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
34 Combat Action Badge, or the Distinguished Flying Cross medal
35 shall, upon application to the department, accompanied by proof
36 of release or discharge from any branch of the United States
37 Armed Forces, proof of active membership or retired status in
38 the Florida National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl
39 Harbor Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in
40 Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart
41 medal recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any
42 branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
43 membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., or
44 other proof of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge,
45 Combat Medical Badge, or Combat Action Badge, or Distinguished
46 Flying Cross, and upon payment of the license tax for the
47 vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license
48 plate as provided by s. 320.06, upon which, in lieu of the
49 serial numbers prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with
50 the words “Veteran,” “National Guard,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor,”
51 “Combat-wounded veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,” “Combat Infantry
52 Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,” or “Combat Action Badge,” or
53 “Distinguished Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness of
54 the related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial
55 number of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart
56 plate may have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and
57 the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
58 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
59 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
60 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
61 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
62 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
63 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
64 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
65 from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
66 Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
67 operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
68 veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
69 (c) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
70 an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
71 Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
72 veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
73 appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
74 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
75 (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
76 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
77 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
78 which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
79 of this the state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or
80 her their unremarried surviving spouse, shall, upon application
81 therefor to the department, shall be issued a license plate as
82 provided in s. 320.06, on which license plate are stamped with
83 the words “Ex-POW” followed by the serial number. Each
84 application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant
85 meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph
86 (b).
87 (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
88 of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
89 a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
90 prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
91 States were engaged in combat, or his or her their unremarried
92 surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
93 provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
94 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
95 (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
96 of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
97 the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she who was
98 not a United States citizen who and was held as a prisoner of
99 war when the Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in
100 combat, or his or her their unremarried surviving spouse, may be
101 issued the special license plate provided for in this subsection
102 upon payment of the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
103 (3) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
104 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
105 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
106 which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
107 of this state and who is the unremarried surviving spouse of a
108 recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall, upon application
109 therefor to the department accompanied by, with the payment of
110 the required fees, shall be issued a license plate as provided
111 in s. 320.06, on which license plate are stamped the words
112 “Purple Heart” and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal
113 followed by the serial number. Each application shall be
114 accompanied by proof that the applicant is the unremarried
115 surviving spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.
116 (4) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
117 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
118 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
119 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
120 hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
121 a current or former member of the United States Armed Forces,
122 and who was deployed and served in Korea during the Korean War
123 as defined in s. 1.01(14), shall, upon application to the
124 department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
125 active duty status during the Korean War, and upon payment of
126 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
127 be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
128 in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
129 320.06, is shall be stamped with the words “Korean War Veteran,”
130 and a likeness of the Korean Service Medal, followed by the
131 registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
132 applicant was awarded the Korean Service Medal is sufficient to
133 establish eligibility for the license plate.
134 (5) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
135 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
136 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
137 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
138 hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
139 a current or former member of the United States military, and
140 who was deployed and served in Vietnam during United States
141 military deployment in Indochina shall, upon application to the
142 department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
143 active duty status during these operations, and, upon payment of
144 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
145 be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
146 in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
147 320.06, is shall be stamped the words “Vietnam War Veteran,” and
148 a likeness of the Vietnam Service Medal, followed by the
149 registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
150 applicant was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal is sufficient to
151 establish eligibility for the license plate.
152 (6) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
153 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
154 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
155 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
156 hire or commercial use who is a resident of this the state and a
157 current or former member of the United States military who was
158 deployed and served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or another area of
159 the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield or Operation
160 Desert Storm; in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom;
161 or in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom shall, upon
162 application to the department, accompanied by proof of active
163 membership or former active duty status during one of these
164 operations, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle
165 as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
166 provided by s. 320.06 upon which, in lieu of the registration
167 license number prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with
168 the words “Operation Desert Shield,” “Operation Desert Storm,”
169 “Operation Enduring Freedom,” or “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” as
170 appropriate, and a likeness of the related campaign medal
171 followed by the registration license number of the plate. Proof
172 that the applicant was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal,
173 Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or Global War
174 on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is sufficient to establish
175 eligibility for the appropriate license plate.
176 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.