Florida Senate - 2015 CS for SB 112
By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security; and Senator Hays
583-00983-15 2015112c1
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 Combat Action
5 Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, and
6 Distinguished Flying Cross license plates; specifying
7 qualifications and requirements for the plates;
8 providing that the use of proceeds from the sale of
9 the plates will be made according to certain
10 established guidelines; providing an effective date.
11
12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
13
14 Section 1. Section 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to
15 read:
16 320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
17 of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
18 recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
19 reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
20 Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, or Air Force Combat
21 Action Medal recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean War
22 Veterans; Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield
23 Veterans; Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring
24 Freedom Veterans; and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; and
25 Distinguished Flying Cross recipients; special license plates;
26 fee.—
27 (1)(a) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
28 private use or recreational vehicle as specified in s.
29 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for hire or commercial
30 use, who is a resident of this the state and a veteran of the
31 United States Armed Forces, an active or retired member of the
32 Florida National Guard, a survivor of the attack on Pearl
33 Harbor, a recipient of the Purple Heart medal, an active or
34 retired member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces
35 Reserve, or a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat
36 Medical Badge, or Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air
37 Force Combat Action Medal, or the Distinguished Flying Cross
38 shall, upon application to the department, accompanied by proof
39 of release or discharge from any branch of the United States
40 Armed Forces, proof of active membership or retired status in
41 the Florida National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl
42 Harbor Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in
43 Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart
44 medal recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any
45 branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
46 membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., or
47 other proof of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge,
48 Combat Medical Badge, or Combat Action Badge, Combat Action
49 Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying
50 Cross, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle as
51 provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
52 provided by s. 320.06, upon which, in lieu of the serial numbers
53 prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with the words
54 “Veteran,” “National Guard,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor,” “Combat
55 wounded veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,” “Combat Infantry Badge,”
56 “Combat Medical Badge,” or “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action
57 Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,” or “Distinguished
58 Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness of the related
59 campaign medal, ribbon, or badge, followed by the serial number
60 of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart plate may
61 have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and the
62 likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
63 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
64 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
65 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
66 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
67 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
68 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
69 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
70 from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
71 Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
72 operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
73 veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
74 (c) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
75 an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
76 Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
77 veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
78 appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
79 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
80 (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
81 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
82 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
83 which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
84 of this the state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or
85 her their unremarried surviving spouse, shall, upon application
86 therefor to the department, shall be issued a license plate as
87 provided in s. 320.06, on which license plate are stamped with
88 the words “Ex-POW” followed by the serial number. Each
89 application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant
90 meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph
91 (b).
92 (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
93 of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
94 a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
95 prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
96 States were engaged in combat, or his or her their unremarried
97 surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
98 provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
99 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
100 (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
101 of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
102 the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she who was
103 not a United States citizen who and was held as a prisoner of
104 war when the Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in
105 combat, or his or her their unremarried surviving spouse, may be
106 issued the special license plate provided for in this subsection
107 upon payment of the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
108 (3) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
109 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
110 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
111 which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
112 of this state and who is the unremarried surviving spouse of a
113 recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall, upon application
114 therefor to the department accompanied by, with the payment of
115 the required fees, shall be issued a license plate as provided
116 in s. 320.06, on which license plate are stamped the words
117 “Purple Heart” and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal
118 followed by the serial number. Each application shall be
119 accompanied by proof that the applicant is the unremarried
120 surviving spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.
121 (4) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
122 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
123 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
124 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
125 hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
126 a current or former member of the United States Armed Forces,
127 and who was deployed and served in Korea during the Korean War
128 as defined in s. 1.01(14), shall, upon application to the
129 department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
130 active duty status during the Korean War, and upon payment of
131 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
132 be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
133 in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
134 320.06, is shall be stamped with the words “Korean War Veteran,”
135 and a likeness of the Korean Service Medal, followed by the
136 registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
137 applicant was awarded the Korean Service Medal is sufficient to
138 establish eligibility for the license plate.
139 (5) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
140 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
141 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
142 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
143 hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
144 a current or former member of the United States military, and
145 who was deployed and served in Vietnam during United States
146 military deployment in Indochina shall, upon application to the
147 department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
148 active duty status during these operations, and, upon payment of
149 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
150 be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
151 in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
152 320.06, is shall be stamped the words “Vietnam War Veteran,” and
153 a likeness of the Vietnam Service Medal, followed by the
154 registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
155 applicant was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal is sufficient to
156 establish eligibility for the license plate.
157 (6) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
158 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
159 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
160 which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
161 hire or commercial use who is a resident of this the state and a
162 current or former member of the United States military who was
163 deployed and served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or another area of
164 the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield or Operation
165 Desert Storm; in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom;
166 or in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom shall, upon
167 application to the department, accompanied by proof of active
168 membership or former active duty status during one of these
169 operations, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle
170 as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
171 provided by s. 320.06 upon which, in lieu of the registration
172 license number prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with
173 the words “Operation Desert Shield,” “Operation Desert Storm,”
174 “Operation Enduring Freedom,” or “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” as
175 appropriate, and a likeness of the related campaign medal
176 followed by the registration license number of the plate. Proof
177 that the applicant was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal,
178 Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or Global War
179 on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is sufficient to establish
180 eligibility for the appropriate license plate.
181 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.