| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to specialty license plates; amending ss. |
| 3 | 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; creating the Support Our |
| 4 | Troops license plate; establishing the annual use fee for |
| 5 | the plate; providing for the distribution of annual use |
| 6 | fees received from the sale of the plates; providing for |
| 7 | the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to |
| 8 | provide the name and address of the buyer of the plate to |
| 9 | the sponsoring organization; providing a conditional |
| 10 | effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | WHEREAS, to create a concrete statement of thanks to our |
| 13 | troops for their service, civilians have stepped forward and |
| 14 | founded Support Our Troops, Inc., a national nonprofit |
| 15 | organization based in Florida that is dedicated to permanently |
| 16 | supporting the troops and their families, and |
| 17 | WHEREAS, through a comprehensive program that enables |
| 18 | individuals to offer support through multiple charitable |
| 19 | methodologies, Support Our Troops, Inc., provides the means |
| 20 | through which individuals may take direct personal financial |
| 21 | responsibility for their troops and engage in direct financial |
| 22 | support for the troops and their families, and |
| 23 | WHEREAS, Support Our Troops, Inc., also provides the means |
| 24 | through which people may publicly display support for their |
| 25 | troops, and |
| 26 | WHEREAS, the Support Our Troops license plate will serve |
| 27 | these very important functions and will, by example, encourage |
| 28 | others to do the same, NOW, THEREFORE, |
| 29 |
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| 30 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 31 |
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| 32 | Section 1. Paragraph (eee) is added to subsection (4) of |
| 33 | section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 34 | 320.08056 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 35 | (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be |
| 36 | collected for the appropriate specialty license plates: |
| 37 | (eee) Support Our Troops license plate, $25. |
| 38 | Section 2. Subsection (57) is added to section 320.08058, |
| 39 | Florida Statutes, to read: |
| 40 | 320.08058 Specialty license plates.-- |
| 41 | (57) SUPPORT OUR TROOPS LICENSE PLATES.-- |
| 42 | (a) The department shall develop a Support Our Troops |
| 43 | license plate as provided in this section. Support Our Troops |
| 44 | license plates must bear the colors and design approved by the |
| 45 | department and must contain an emblem or logo of a soldier and a |
| 46 | child. The word "Florida" must appear at the top of the plate, |
| 47 | and the words "Support Our Troops" must appear at the bottom of |
| 48 | the plate. |
| 49 | (b) The proceeds of the annual use fee shall be |
| 50 | distributed to Support Our Troops, Inc., which shall use the |
| 51 | proceeds according to its articles of incorporation. |
| 52 | (c) Application for the Support Our Troops specialty |
| 53 | license plate by a motor vehicle owner or lessee shall |
| 54 | constitute prior written consent and instruction by the |
| 55 | applicant to the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles |
| 56 | to provide his or her name and address to the sponsoring |
| 57 | organization. |
| 58 | Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006, if |
| 59 | Support Our Troops, Inc., has met the requirements of s. |
| 60 | 320.08053(1)(b), Florida Statutes, for approval of the Support |
| 61 | Our Troops specialty license plate prior to that date, except |
| 62 | that this section shall take effect upon this act becoming a |
| 63 | law. |