Florida Senate - 2011 CS for SB 1110
By the Committee on Military Affairs, Space, and Domestic
Security; and Senators Dean, Gaetz, and Flores
583-02937-11 20111110c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to commemoration of the 40th
3 anniversary of the end of the United States’
4 involvement in the Vietnam War; amending s. 683.01,
5 F.S.; designating March 25, 2013, the 40th anniversary
6 of the end of the United States’ involvement in the
7 Vietnam War, as a legal holiday; creating s. 683.025,
8 F.S.; designating a date for the observance of the
9 anniversary; providing for the annual observance of
10 “Vietnam Veterans’ Day,” commencing on a specified
11 date; specifying purpose of the observance; creating
12 s. 292.075, F.S.; requiring the Department of
13 Veterans’ Affairs to administratively promote and
14 support the efforts of counties, municipalities, and
15 veterans’ organizations that voluntarily hold special
16 community events commemorating the 40th anniversary of
17 the end of the United States’ involvement in the
18 Vietnam War and subsequent observances of Vietnam
19 Veterans’ Day; authorizing solicitation of private
20 donations to fund grants to counties, municipalities,
21 and veterans’ organizations that voluntarily hold
22 activities in support of such commemoration; providing
23 for rulemaking of the department; providing for the
24 creation of a special volunteer advisory board to the
25 department for the purpose of reviewing and making
26 recommendations with respect to activities and
27 expenditures of private funds raised in support of
28 such commemoration; amending ss. 320.08056 and
29 320.08058, F.S.; creating the Vietnam Veterans license
30 plate; establishing an annual use fee for the plate;
31 providing for the distribution of use fees received
32 from the sale of such plates; providing an effective
33 date.
34
35 WHEREAS, March 29, 2013, marks the 40th anniversary of the
36 end of United States’ involvement in the Vietnam War, and
37 WHEREAS, because March 29, 2013, falls on Good Friday, an
38 existing legal holiday, March 25, 2013, has been designated as
39 the date on which the 40th anniversary of the end of the United
40 States’ involvement in the Vietnam War is to be commemorated in
41 the State of Florida, and
42 WHEREAS, it is the intent of this act to provide
43 legislative direction and support for recognition of the
44 importance of this event and to ensure the appropriate
45 commemoration of this anniversary and proper demonstration of
46 appreciation for the honorable service and tremendous sacrifice
47 of veterans who served in the United States Armed Services
48 during the Vietnam Era, NOW, THEREFORE,
49
50 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
51
52 Section 1. Paragraph (v) is added to subsection (1) of
53 section 683.01, Florida Statutes, to read:
54 683.01 Legal holidays.—
55 (1) The legal holidays, which are also public holidays, are
56 the following:
57 (v) The 40th anniversary of the end of United States’
58 involvement in the Vietnam War, March 25, 2013.
59 Section 2. Section 683.025, Florida Statutes, is created to
60 read:
61 683.025 Vietnam Veterans’ Day; 40th anniversary of end of
62 United States’ involvement in Vietnam War.—
63 (1) In recognition of the historical significance of the
64 40th anniversary of the end of United States’ involvement in the
65 Vietnam War, March 25, 2013, shall be observed as the 40th
66 anniversary of the end of United States’ involvement in the
67 Vietnam War. The day shall be suitably observed for the purpose
68 of providing opportunities throughout the state to demonstrate
69 and express appreciation for the honorable service and sacrifice
70 of veterans who served in the United States Armed Forces during
71 the Vietnam Era and shall otherwise be suitably observed by such
72 public exercises in the State Capitol and elsewhere as the
73 Governor may designate and as provided by rules of the
74 Department of Veterans’ Affairs adopted under s. 292.075.
75 (2) Commencing on March 29, 2014, the Governor shall
76 proclaim March 29 of each year to be “Vietnam Veterans’ Day,”
77 which day shall be suitably observed throughout the state as a
78 day honoring the veterans who served in the United States Armed
79 Services during the Vietnam Era, and which day shall otherwise
80 be suitably observed by such public exercises in the State
81 Capitol and elsewhere as the Governor may designate and as
82 provided by rules of the Department of Veterans’ Affairs adopted
83 under s. 292.075. If in any calendar year March 29 falls on a
84 day which is not a school day, “Vietnam Veterans’ Day” shall be
85 observed in the schools on the school day next preceding or on
86 such preceding day as may be designated by local school
87 authorities.
88 (3) The purpose of Vietnam Veterans’ Day is to provide a
89 proper demonstration of appreciation for the honorable service
90 and sacrifice of veterans who served in the United States Armed
91 Forces during the Vietnam Era.
92 Section 3. Section 292.075, Florida Statutes, is created to
93 read:
94 292.075 Vietnam Veterans’ Day; commemoration of 40th
95 anniversary of the end of United States’ involvement in the
96 Vietnam War.—
97 (1) The department shall administratively promote and
98 support the efforts of counties, municipalities, and bona fide
99 veterans’ organizations that voluntarily hold special community
100 events commemorating:
101 (a) The 40th anniversary of the end of the United States’
102 involvement in the Vietnam War on March 25, 2013, as provided in
103 s. 683.025(1).
104 (b) Vietnam Veterans’ Day, commencing on March 29, 2014,
105 and observed on March 29 annually thereafter, as provided in s.
106 683.025(2).
107
108 Such events shall include, but not be limited to, parades or
109 ceremonies held on those dates.
110 (2) The department shall adopt rules for the:
111 (a) Solicitation of private donations to fund grants to
112 counties, municipalities, and bona fide veterans’ organizations
113 that voluntarily hold commemorative activities contemplated by
114 this section and s. 683.025 for the purpose of reviewing and
115 making recommendations with respect to such activities and major
116 expenditures of private funds raised in support thereof.
117 (b) Creation of a special volunteer advisory board,
118 consisting of Vietnam veterans who are residents of the state,
119 for the purpose of reviewing and making recommendations with
120 respect to the activities contemplated by this section and s.
121 683.025 and major expenditures of private funds raised in
122 support thereof.
123 Section 4. Paragraph (aaaa) is added to subsection (4) of
124 section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
125 320.08056 Specialty license plates.—
126 (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be
127 collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
128 (aaaa) Vietnam Veterans license plate, $25.
129 Section 5. Subsection (79) is added to section 320.08058,
130 Florida Statutes, to read:
131 320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
132 (79) VIETNAM VETERANS LICENSE PLATE.—
133 (a) The department shall develop a Vietnam Veterans license
134 plate as provided in this section. Vietnam Veterans license
135 plates must bear the colors and design approved by the
136 department. The word “Florida” must appear at the top of the
137 plate, and the words “Vietnam Veterans” must appear at the
138 bottom of the plate.
139 (b) The license plate annual use fees must be deposited in
140 the Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund of the Department of
141 Veterans’ Affairs. All such moneys are to be administered by the
142 direct-support organization of the Department of Veterans’
143 Affairs created under s. 292.055, the Florida Veterans’
144 Foundation, and must be used solely for the purposes of:
145 1. Funding grants to counties, municipalities, and bona
146 fide veterans’ organizations for activities related to the
147 initial observance of “Vietnam Veterans’ Day,” on March 25,
148 2013, the 40th anniversary of the end of United States’
149 involvement in the Vietnam War;
150 2. Expenditures related to the annual observance of Vietnam
151 Veterans’ Day in years subsequent to 2013; and
152 3. The continuing promotion and marketing of the license
153 plate, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
154 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2011.