Florida Senate - 2017                             CS for SB 1734
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
       Domestic Security; and Senator Rouson
       
       
       
       
       583-03352A-17                                         20171734c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to special license plates; amending s.
    3         320.089, F.S.; providing for special license plates to
    4         be issued to Bronze Star or Bronze Star with the “V”
    5         device recipients; making technical changes; providing
    6         an effective date.
    7          
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 320.089, Florida
   11  Statutes, is amended to read:
   12         320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
   13  of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
   14  recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
   15  reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
   16  Combat Action Badge recipients; Combat Action Ribbon recipients;
   17  Air Force Combat Action Medal recipients; Distinguished Flying
   18  Cross recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean War Veterans;
   19  Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield Veterans;
   20  Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring Freedom
   21  Veterans; Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; Women Veterans;
   22  World War II Veterans; and Navy Submariners; Special license
   23  plates for military servicemembers, veterans, and Pearl Harbor
   24  survivors; fee.—
   25         (1)(a) Upon application to the department and payment of
   26  the license tax for a vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, a
   27  resident of this state who owns or leases Each owner or lessee
   28  of an automobile or a truck for private use or a recreational
   29  vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not
   30  used for hire or commercial use, shall be issued a license
   31  plate, as provided by s. 320.06, pursuant to the following
   32  procedure if the applicant provides the department with proof
   33  that he or she meets the qualifications specified in this
   34  subsection for the applicable license plate:
   35         1. A person released or discharged from any branch who is a
   36  resident of the state and a veteran of the United States Armed
   37  Forces shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
   38  “Veteran” or, upon request, a Woman Veteran” followed by the
   39  serial number of the license plate.,
   40         2. A World War II veteran shall be issued a license plate
   41  stamped with the term “WWII Veteran” followed by the serial
   42  number of the license plate.,
   43         3. A Navy submariner shall be issued a license plate
   44  stamped with the term “Navy Submariner” followed by the serial
   45  number of the license plate.,
   46         4. An active or retired member of the Florida National
   47  Guard shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
   48  “National Guard” followed by the serial number of the license
   49  plate.
   50         5. A member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association or
   51  any other person on active military duty at Pearl Harbor on
   52  December 7, 1941, shall be issued a license plate stamped with
   53  the term “Pearl Harbor Survivor” followed by the serial number
   54  of the license plate., a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
   55         6. A recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall be issued a
   56  license plate stamped with the term “Combat-wounded Veteran”
   57  followed by the serial number of the license plate. The Purple
   58  Heart plate may have the term “Purple Heart” stamped on the
   59  plate and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal may appear on
   60  the plate.,
   61         7. An active or retired member of any branch of the United
   62  States Armed Forces Reserve shall be issued a license plate
   63  stamped with the term “U.S. Reserve” followed by the serial
   64  number of the license plate.
   65         8. A member of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc.,
   66  or a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical
   67  Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, or Air Force
   68  Combat Action Medal shall be issued a license plate stamped with
   69  the term “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,”
   70  “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” or “Air Force
   71  Combat Action Medal,” as appropriate, and a likeness of the
   72  related campaign medal or badge followed by the serial number of
   73  the license plate.
   74         9. A recipient of the, or Distinguished Flying Cross shall
   75  be issued a license plate stamped with the term “Distinguished
   76  Flying Cross” and a likeness of the Distinguished Flying Cross
   77  followed by the serial number of the license plate.
   78         10. A recipient of the Bronze Star shall be issued a
   79  license plate stamped with the term “Bronze Star” and a likeness
   80  of the Bronze Star medal followed by the serial number of the
   81  license plate. A recipient of the Bronze Star with the “V”
   82  device shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
   83  “Bronze Star” and a likeness of the Bronze Star medal with the
   84  “V” device emblem followed by the serial number of the license
   85  plate, upon application to the department, accompanied by proof
   86  of release or discharge from any branch of the United States
   87  Armed Forces, proof of active membership or retired status in
   88  the Florida National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl
   89  Harbor Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in
   90  Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart
   91  medal recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any
   92  branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
   93  membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., proof
   94  of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat
   95  Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air
   96  Force Combat Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying Cross, and
   97  upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle as provided in
   98  s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as provided by s.
   99  320.06 which, in lieu of the serial numbers prescribed by s.
  100  320.06, is stamped with the words “Veteran,” “Woman Veteran,”
  101  “WWII Veteran,” “Navy Submariner,” “National Guard,” “Pearl
  102  Harbor Survivor,” “Combat-wounded veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,”
  103  “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,” “Combat Action
  104  Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,”
  105  or “Distinguished Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness
  106  of the related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial
  107  number of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart
  108  plate may have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and
  109  the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
  110         (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
  111  contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
  112  thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
  113  the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
  114  deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
  115  in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
  116  for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
  117  from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
  118  Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
  119  operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
  120  veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
  121         (c) Any revenue generated from the sale of Woman Veteran
  122  license plates must be deposited into the Operations and
  123  Maintenance Trust Fund administered by the Department of
  124  Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 20.375(3) and must be used
  125  solely for the purpose of creating and implementing programs to
  126  benefit women veterans.
  127         (d) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
  128  an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
  129  Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
  130  veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
  131  appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
  132  tax imposed by s. 320.08.
  133         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2017.