Florida Senate - 2015                       CS for CS for SB 112
       
       
        
       By the Committees on Transportation; and Military and Veterans
       Affairs, Space, and Domestic Security; and Senator Hays
       
       
       
       
       596-02568-15                                           2015112c2
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to special license plates; amending s.
    3         320.089, F.S.; authorizing the department to issue
    4         Woman Veteran, World War II Veteran, Navy Submariner,
    5         Combat Action Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal,
    6         and Distinguished Flying Cross license plates;
    7         specifying qualifications and requirements for the
    8         plates; requiring that any revenue generated from the
    9         sale of Woman Veteran license plates be deposited into
   10         the Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund to be used
   11         for certain purposes; providing an effective date.
   12  
   13          
   14  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   15  
   16         Section 1. Section 320.089, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   17  read:
   18         320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
   19  of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
   20  recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
   21  reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
   22  Combat Action Badge recipients; Combat Action Ribbon recipients;
   23  Air Force Combat Action Medal recipients; Distinguished Flying
   24  Cross recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean War Veterans;
   25  Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield Veterans;
   26  Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring Freedom
   27  Veterans; and Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; Women Veterans;
   28  World War II Veterans; and Navy Submariners; special license
   29  plates; fee.—
   30         (1)(a) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
   31  private use or recreational vehicle as specified in s.
   32  320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for hire or commercial
   33  use, who is a resident of the state and a veteran of the United
   34  States Armed Forces, a Woman Veteran, a World War II Veteran, a
   35  Navy Submariner, an active or retired member of the Florida
   36  National Guard, a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor, a
   37  recipient of the Purple Heart medal, an active or retired member
   38  of any branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or a
   39  recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
   40  Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air Force Combat
   41  Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying Cross shall, upon
   42  application to the department, accompanied by proof of release
   43  or discharge from any branch of the United States Armed Forces,
   44  proof of active membership or retired status in the Florida
   45  National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl Harbor
   46  Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in Pearl
   47  Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart medal
   48  recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any branch
   49  of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
   50  membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., or
   51  other proof of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge,
   52  Combat Medical Badge, or Combat Action Badge, Combat Action
   53  Ribbon, Air Force Combat Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying
   54  Cross, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle as
   55  provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
   56  provided by s. 320.06, upon which, in lieu of the serial numbers
   57  prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with the words
   58  “Veteran,” “Woman Veteran,” “WWII Veteran,” “Navy Submariner,”
   59  “National Guard,” “Pearl Harbor Survivor,” “Combat-wounded
   60  veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,” “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat
   61  Medical Badge,” or “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action
   62  Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,” or “Distinguished
   63  Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness of the related
   64  campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial number of the
   65  license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart plate may have the
   66  words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and the likeness of
   67  the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
   68         (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
   69  contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
   70  thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
   71  the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
   72  deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
   73  in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
   74  for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
   75  from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
   76  Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
   77  operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
   78  veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
   79         (c) Any revenue generated from the sale of Woman Veteran
   80  license plates must be deposited into the Operations and
   81  Maintenance Trust Fund administered by the Department of
   82  Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 20.375(3) and must be used
   83  solely for the purpose of creating and implementing programs to
   84  benefit women veterans. Notwithstanding any provisions of law to
   85  the contrary, an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license
   86  plate or a Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a
   87  disabled veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be
   88  issued the appropriate special license plate without payment of
   89  the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
   90         (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
   91  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
   92  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
   93  which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
   94  of this the state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or
   95  her their unremarried surviving spouse, shall, upon application
   96  therefor to the department, shall be issued a license plate as
   97  provided in s. 320.06, on which license plate are stamped with
   98  the words “Ex-POW” followed by the serial number. Each
   99  application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant
  100  meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph
  101  (b).
  102         (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
  103  of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
  104  a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
  105  prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
  106  States were engaged in combat, or his or her their unremarried
  107  surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
  108  provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
  109  tax imposed by s. 320.08.
  110         (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
  111  of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
  112  the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she who was
  113  not a United States citizen and was held as a prisoner of war
  114  when the Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in
  115  combat, or his or her their unremarried surviving spouse, may be
  116  issued the special license plate provided for in this subsection
  117  upon payment of the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
  118         (3) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
  119  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
  120  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
  121  which is not used for hire or commercial use, who is a resident
  122  of this state and who is the unremarried surviving spouse of a
  123  recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall, upon application
  124  therefor to the department accompanied by, with the payment of
  125  the required fees, shall be issued a license plate as provided
  126  in s. 320.06, on which is license plate are stamped with the
  127  words “Purple Heart” and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal
  128  followed by the serial number. Each application shall be
  129  accompanied by proof that the applicant is the unremarried
  130  surviving spouse of a recipient of the Purple Heart medal.
  131         (4) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
  132  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
  133  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
  134  which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
  135  hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
  136  a current or former member of the United States Armed Forces,
  137  and who was deployed and served in Korea during the Korean War
  138  as defined in s. 1.01(14), shall, upon application to the
  139  department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
  140  active duty status during the Korean War, and upon payment of
  141  the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
  142  be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
  143  in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
  144  320.06, is shall be stamped with the words “Korean War Veteran,”
  145  and a likeness of the Korean Service Medal, followed by the
  146  registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
  147  applicant was awarded the Korean Service Medal is sufficient to
  148  establish eligibility for the license plate.
  149         (5) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
  150  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
  151  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
  152  which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
  153  hire or commercial use, who is a resident of this the state and
  154  a current or former member of the United States military, and
  155  who was deployed and served in Vietnam during United States
  156  military deployment in Indochina shall, upon application to the
  157  department, accompanied by proof of active membership or former
  158  active duty status during these operations, and, upon payment of
  159  the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, shall
  160  be issued a license plate as provided by s. 320.06 upon which,
  161  in lieu of the registration license number prescribed by s.
  162  320.06, is shall be stamped with the words “Vietnam War
  163  Veteran,” and a likeness of the Vietnam Service Medal, followed
  164  by the registration license number of the plate. Proof that the
  165  applicant was awarded the Vietnam Service Medal is sufficient to
  166  establish eligibility for the license plate.
  167         (6) The owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
  168  private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
  169  recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d)
  170  which automobile, truck, or recreational vehicle is not used for
  171  hire or commercial use who is a resident of this the state and a
  172  current or former member of the United States military who was
  173  deployed and served in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, or another area of
  174  the Persian Gulf during Operation Desert Shield or Operation
  175  Desert Storm; in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom;
  176  or in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom shall, upon
  177  application to the department, accompanied by proof of active
  178  membership or former active duty status during one of these
  179  operations, and upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle
  180  as provided in s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as
  181  provided by s. 320.06 upon which, in lieu of the registration
  182  license number prescribed by s. 320.06, is shall be stamped with
  183  the words “Operation Desert Shield,” “Operation Desert Storm,”
  184  “Operation Enduring Freedom,” or “Operation Iraqi Freedom,” as
  185  appropriate, and a likeness of the related campaign medal
  186  followed by the registration license number of the plate. Proof
  187  that the applicant was awarded the Southwest Asia Service Medal,
  188  Iraq Campaign Medal, Afghanistan Campaign Medal, or Global War
  189  on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal is sufficient to establish
  190  eligibility for the appropriate license plate.
  191         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.
  192