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