Florida Senate - 2012                                     SB 528
       
       
       
       By Senator Bennett
       
       
       
       
       21-00584-12                                            2012528__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to special license plates; amending s.
    3         320.089, F.S.; providing for the issuance of a Combat
    4         Infantry Badge license plate; providing qualifications
    5         and requirements for the plate; providing for the use
    6         of proceeds from the sale of the plate; providing an
    7         effective date.
    8  
    9  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   10  
   11         Section 1. Section 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   12  read:
   13         320.089 Members of National Guard and active United States
   14  Armed Forces reservists; former prisoners of war; survivors of
   15  Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal recipients; Operation Iraqi
   16  Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom Veterans; Combat Infantry
   17  Badge recipients; special license plates; fee.—
   18         (1)(a) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
   19  private use or recreational vehicle as specified in s.
   20  320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for hire or commercial
   21  use, who is a resident of the state and an active or retired
   22  member of the Florida National Guard, a survivor of the attack
   23  on Pearl Harbor, a recipient of the Purple Heart medal, or an
   24  active or retired member of any branch of the United States
   25  Armed Forces Reserve, or a recipient of the Combat Infantry
   26  Badge shall, upon application to the department, accompanied by
   27  proof of active membership or retired status in the Florida
   28  National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl Harbor
   29  Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in Pearl
   30  Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart medal
   31  recipient, or proof of active or retired membership in any
   32  branch of the Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of membership in
   33  the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., or other proof of
   34  being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, and upon payment
   35  of the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, be
   36  issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06, upon which, in
   37  lieu of the serial numbers prescribed by s. 320.06, shall be
   38  stamped the words “National Guard,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor,”
   39  “Combat-wounded veteran,” or “U.S. Reserve,” or “Combat Infantry
   40  Badge,” as appropriate, followed by the serial number of the
   41  license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart plate may have the
   42  words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and the likeness of
   43  the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
   44         (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
   45  contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
   46  thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
   47  the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
   48  deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
   49  in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
   50  for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
   51  from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
   52  Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
   53  operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
   54  veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
   55         (c) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
   56  an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
   57  Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
   58  veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
   59  appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
   60  tax imposed by s. 320.08.
   61         (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
   62  private use, truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or
   63  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
   64  which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
   65  of the state and who is a former prisoner of war, or their
   66  unremarried surviving spouse, shall, upon application therefor
   67  to the department, be issued a license plate as provided in s.
   68  320.06, on which license plate are stamped the words “Ex-POW”
   69  followed by the serial number. Each application shall be
   70  accompanied by proof that the applicant meets the qualifications
   71  specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph (b).
   72         (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
   73  of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
   74  a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
   75  prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
   76  States were engaged in combat, or their unremarried surviving
   77  spouse, may be issued the special license plate provided for in
   78  this subsection without payment of the license tax imposed by s.
   79  320.08.
   80         (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
   81  of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
   82  the Armed Forces of the United States who was not a United
   83  States citizen and was held as a prisoner of war when the Armed
   84  Forces of the United States were engaged in combat, or their
   85  unremarried surviving spouse, may be issued the special license
   86  plate provided for in this subsection upon payment of the
   87  license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
   88         (3) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
   89  private use, truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or
   90  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
   91  which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
   92  of this state and who is the unremarried surviving spouse of a
   93  recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall, upon application
   94  therefor to the department, with the payment of the required
   95  fees, be issued a license plate as provided in s. 320.06, on
   96  which license plate are stamped the words “Purple Heart” and the
   97  likeness of the Purple Heart medal followed by the serial
   98  number. Each application shall be accompanied by proof that the
   99  applicant is the unremarried surviving spouse of a recipient of
  100  the Purple Heart medal.
  101         (4) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
  102  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
  103  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
  104  which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
  105  hire or commercial use who is a resident of the state and a
  106  current or former member of the United States military who was
  107  deployed and served in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom or in
  108  Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom shall, upon
  109  application to the department, accompanied by proof of active
  110  membership or former active duty status during one of these
  111  operations, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle
  112  as provided in s. 320.08, be issued a license plate as provided
  113  by s. 320.06 upon which, in lieu of the registration license
  114  number prescribed by s. 320.06, shall be stamped the words
  115  “Operation Iraqi Freedom” or “Operation Enduring Freedom,” as
  116  appropriate, followed by the registration license number of the
  117  plate.
  118         Section 2. This act shall take effect October 1, 2012.