Florida Senate - 2016 SB 518
By Senator Soto
14-00018-16 2016518__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to Bronze Star license plates;
3 amending s. 320.089, F.S.; creating a special license
4 plate for recipients of the Bronze Star medal;
5 providing an effective date.
6
7 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
8
9 Section 1. Section 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to
10 read:
11 320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
12 of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart and
13 Bronze Star medal recipients; active or retired United States
14 Armed Forces reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical
15 Badge, or Combat Action Badge recipients; Combat Action Ribbon
16 recipients; Air Force Combat Action Medal recipients;
17 Distinguished Flying Cross recipients; former prisoners of war;
18 Korean War Veterans; Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert
19 Shield Veterans; Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation
20 Enduring Freedom Veterans; Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans;
21 Women Veterans; World War II Veterans; and Navy Submariners;
22 special license plates; fee.—
23 (1)(a) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
24 private use or recreational vehicle as specified in s.
25 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for hire or commercial
26 use, who is a resident of the state and a veteran of the United
27 States Armed Forces, a Woman Veteran, a World War II Veteran, a
28 Navy Submariner, an active or retired member of the Florida
29 National Guard, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a
30 recipient of the Purple Heart medal, a recipient of the Bronze
31 Star medal, an active or retired member of any branch of the
32 United States Armed Forces Reserve, or a recipient of the Combat
33 Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge,
34 Combat Action Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, or
35 Distinguished Flying Cross, upon application to the department,
36 accompanied by proof of release or discharge from any branch of
37 the United States Armed Forces, proof of active membership or
38 retired status in the Florida National Guard, proof of
39 membership in the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association or proof of
40 active military duty in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof
41 of being a Purple Heart or Bronze Star medal recipient, proof of
42 active or retired membership in any branch of the United States
43 Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of membership in the Combat
44 Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., proof of being a recipient of
45 the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, Combat Action
46 Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, or
47 Distinguished Flying Cross, and upon payment of the license tax
48 for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a
49 license plate as provided by s. 320.06 which, in lieu of the
50 serial numbers prescribed by s. 320.06, is stamped with the
51 words “Veteran,” “Woman Veteran,” “WWII Veteran,” “Navy
52 Submariner,” “National Guard,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor,” “Combat
53 wounded veteran,” “Bronze Star,” “U.S. Reserve,” “Combat
54 Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,” “Combat Action Badge,”
55 “Combat Action Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,” or
56 “Distinguished Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness of
57 the related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial
58 number of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart
59 plate may have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and
60 the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
61 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
62 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
63 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
64 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
65 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
66 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
67 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
68 from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
69 Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
70 operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
71 veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
72 (c) Any revenue generated from the sale of Woman Veteran
73 license plates must be deposited into the Operations and
74 Maintenance Trust Fund administered by the Department of
75 Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 20.375(3) and must be used
76 solely for the purpose of creating and implementing programs to
77 benefit women veterans. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to
78 the contrary, an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license
79 plate or a Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a
80 disabled veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be
81 issued the appropriate special license plate without payment of
82 the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
83 (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
84 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
85 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
86 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
87 of this state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or her
88 unremarried surviving spouse, upon application to the
89 department, shall be issued a license plate as provided in s.
90 320.06, stamped with the words “Ex-POW” followed by the serial
91 number. Each application shall be accompanied by proof that the
92 applicant meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or
93 paragraph (b).
94 (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
95 of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
96 a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
97 prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
98 States were engaged in combat, or his or her unremarried
99 surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
100 provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
101 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
102 (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
103 of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
104 the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she was not a
105 United States citizen and was held as a prisoner of war when the
106 Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in combat, or his
107 or her unremarried surviving spouse, may be issued the special
108 license plate provided for in this subsection upon payment of
109 the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
110 (3) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
111 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
112 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
113 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
114 of this state and who is the unremarried surviving spouse of a
115 recipient of the Purple Heart medal, upon application to the
116 department accompanied by the payment of the required fees,
117 shall be issued a license plate as provided in s. 320.06 which
118 is stamped with the words “Purple Heart” and the likeness of the
119 Purple Heart medal followed by the serial number. Each
120 application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant is
121 the unremarried surviving spouse of a recipient of the Purple
122 Heart medal.
123 (4) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
124 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
125 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
126 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
127 of this state and a current or former member of the United
128 States Armed Forces who was deployed and served in Korea during
129 the Korean War as defined in s. 1.01(14), upon application to
130 the department accompanied by proof of active membership or
131 former active duty status during the Korean War and payment of
132 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
133 be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 which, in
134 lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s. 320.06,
135 is stamped with the words “Korean War Veteran” and a likeness of
136 the Korean Service Medal, followed by the registration license
137 number of the plate. Proof that the applicant was awarded the
138 Korean Service Medal is sufficient to establish eligibility for
139 the license plate.
140 (5) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
141 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
142 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
143 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
144 of this state and a current or former member of the United
145 States military who was deployed and served in Vietnam during
146 United States military deployment in Indochina, upon application
147 to the department accompanied by proof of active membership or
148 former active duty status during these operations and 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 which, in
151 lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s. 320.06,
152 is stamped with the words “Vietnam War Veteran” and a likeness
153 of the Vietnam Service Medal, followed by the registration
154 license number of the plate. Proof that the applicant was
155 awarded the Vietnam Service Medal is sufficient to establish
156 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 is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
161 of this state and a current or former member of the United
162 States military who was deployed and served in Saudi Arabia,
163 Kuwait, or another area of the Persian Gulf during Operation
164 Desert Shield or Operation Desert Storm; in Afghanistan during
165 Operation Enduring Freedom; or in Iraq during Operation Iraqi
166 Freedom, upon application to the department accompanied by proof
167 of active membership or former active duty status during one of
168 these operations and payment of the license tax for the vehicle
169 as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
170 provided by s. 320.06 which, in lieu of the registration license
171 number prescribed by s. 320.06, is stamped with the words
172 “Operation Desert Shield,” “Operation Desert Storm,” “Operation
173 Enduring Freedom,” or “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” as appropriate,
174 and a likeness of the related campaign medal followed by the
175 registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
176 applicant was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal, Iraq
177 Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or Global War on
178 Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is sufficient to establish
179 eligibility for the appropriate license plate.
180 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2016.