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.