Florida Senate - 2017 SB 1022
By Senator Stewart
13-00737A-17 20171022__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to license plates; amending ss. 296.11
3 and 296.38, F.S.; requiring moneys received from the
4 sale of Woman Veteran license plates to be used for
5 certain purposes; amending ss. 320.08056 and
6 320.08058, F.S.; directing the Department of Highway
7 Safety and Motor Vehicles to develop an American Eagle
8 license plate; establishing an annual use fee for the
9 plate; providing for distribution and use of fees
10 collected from the sale of the plates; amending s.
11 320.089, F.S.; providing for a special license plate
12 to be issued to a recipient of the Bronze Star;
13 revising disposition of moneys received from the sale
14 of Woman Veteran license plates; requiring the
15 likeness of the Prisoner of War Medal to appear on the
16 Ex-POW license plate; providing an effective date.
17
18 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
19
20 Section 1. Subsection (3) of section 296.11, Florida
21 Statutes, is renumbered as subsection (4), and a new subsection
22 (3) is added to that section to read:
23 296.11 Funds of home and disposition of moneys.—
24 (3) All moneys received pursuant to s. 320.089 from the
25 sale of Woman Veteran license plates shall be deposited into the
26 Grants and Donations Trust Fund. All such moneys must be
27 expended solely for the purpose of creating and implementing
28 programs to benefit women veterans.
29 Section 2. Subsection (2) of section 296.38, Florida
30 Statutes, is amended to read:
31 296.38 Funds of home and disposition of moneys.—
32 (2)(a) The home shall be empowered to receive and accept
33 gifts, grants, and endowments in the name of the home. All such
34 gifts, grants, and endowments are to be used for the benefit of
35 the home and its residents. The administrator, together with the
36 director, shall have the authority to determine how these gifts,
37 grants, and endowments could best benefit the home and its
38 residents unless the benefactor requests or instructs that the
39 gift, grant, or endowment be used for a specific purpose. The
40 home shall deposit all moneys received pursuant to this
41 subsection into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund. Except as
42 provided in paragraph (b), moneys in the Grants and Donations
43 Trust Fund shall be expended for the common benefit of the
44 residents of the home, such as recreational equipment, improved
45 facilities, recreational supplies, and goods and services
46 offered or available to all residents.
47 (b) All moneys received pursuant to s. 320.089 from the
48 sale of Woman Veteran license plates shall be deposited into the
49 Grants and Donations Trust Fund. All such moneys must be
50 expended solely for the purpose of creating and implementing
51 programs to benefit women veterans.
52 Section 3. Paragraph (ffff) is added to subsection (4) of
53 section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
54 320.08056 Specialty license plates.—
55 (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be
56 collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
57 (ffff) American Eagle license plate, $25.
58 Section 4. Subsection (84) is added to section 320.08058,
59 Florida Statutes, to read:
60 320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
61 (84) AMERICAN EAGLE LICENSE PLATES.—
62 (a) The department shall develop an American Eagle license
63 plate as provided in this section and s. 320.08053. The plate
64 must bear the colors and design approved by the department. The
65 word “Florida” must appear at the top of the plate, and the
66 words “God Bless America” must appear at the bottom of the
67 plate.
68 (b) The department shall retain all annual use fees from
69 the sale of the plate until all startup costs for developing and
70 issuing the plate have been recovered. Thereafter, the annual
71 use fees from the sale of the plate shall be distributed to the
72 American Eagle Foundation for deposit in the foundation’s
73 national endowment fund. The American Eagle Foundation shall use
74 the proceeds to fund public education programs, rescue and care
75 programs, and other conservation efforts in Florida that benefit
76 bald eagles.
77 Section 5. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 320.089,
78 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
79 320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
80 of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
81 recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
82 reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
83 Combat Action Badge recipients; Combat Action Ribbon recipients;
84 Air Force Combat Action Medal recipients; Distinguished Flying
85 Cross recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean War Veterans;
86 Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield Veterans;
87 Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring Freedom
88 Veterans; Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; Women Veterans;
89 World War II Veterans; and Navy Submariners; Special license
90 plates for military servicemembers, veterans, and Pearl Harbor
91 Survivors; fee.—
92 (1)(a) Upon application to the department and payment of
93 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, a
94 resident of the state who owns or leases Each owner or lessee of
95 an automobile or truck for private use or recreational vehicle
96 as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for
97 hire or commercial use, shall be issued a license plate pursuant
98 to the following if the applicant provides the department with
99 proof he or she meets the qualifications listed in this section
100 for the applicable license plate:
101 1. A person released or discharged from any branch who is a
102 resident of the state and a veteran of the United States Armed
103 Forces shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
104 “Veteran” or, a “Woman Veteran” followed by the serial number of
105 the license plate.,
106 2. A World War II Veteran shall be issued a license plate
107 stamped with the term “WWII Veteran” followed by the serial
108 number of the license plate.,
109 3. A Navy Submariner shall be issued a license plate
110 stamped with the term “Navy Submariner” followed by the serial
111 number of the license plate.,
112 4. An active or retired member of the Florida National
113 Guard shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
114 “National Guard” followed by the serial number of the license
115 plate.
116 5. A member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association or
117 other person on active military duty in Pearl Harbor on December
118 7, 1941, shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
119 “Pearl Harbor Survivor” followed by the serial number of the
120 license plate., a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
121 6. A recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall be issued a
122 license plate stamped with the term “Combat-wounded Veteran”
123 followed by the serial number of the license plate. The Purple
124 Heart plate may have the term “Purple Heart” stamped on the
125 plate and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on
126 the plate.,
127 7. An active or retired member of any branch of the United
128 States Armed Forces Reserve shall be issued a license plate
129 stamped with the term “U.S. Reserve” followed by the serial
130 number of the license plate.
131 8. A member of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc.,
132 or a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical
133 Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, or Air Force
134 Combat Action Medal shall be issued a license plate stamped with
135 the term “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,”
136 “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” or “Air Force
137 Combat Action Medal,” as appropriate, and a likeness of the
138 related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial number
139 of the license plate.
140 9. A recipient of the, or Distinguished Flying Cross shall
141 be issued a license plate stamped with the term “Distinguished
142 Flying Cross” and a likeness of the Distinguished Flying Cross
143 followed by the serial number of the license plate.
144 10. A recipient of the Bronze Star shall be issued a
145 license plate stamped with the term “Bronze Star” and a likeness
146 of the Bronze Star followed by the serial number of the license
147 plate., upon application to the department, accompanied by proof
148 of release or discharge from any branch of the United States
149 Armed Forces, proof of active membership or retired status in
150 the Florida National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl
151 Harbor Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in
152 Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart
153 medal recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any
154 branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
155 membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., proof
156 of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat
157 Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air
158 Force Combat Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying Cross, and
159 upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle as provided in
160 s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as provided by s.
161 320.06 which, in lieu of the serial numbers prescribed by s.
162 320.06, is stamped with the words “Veteran,” “Woman Veteran,”
163 “WWII Veteran,” “Navy Submariner,” “National Guard,” “Pearl
164 Harbor Survivor,” “Combat-wounded veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,”
165 “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,” “Combat Action
166 Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,”
167 or “Distinguished Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness
168 of the related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial
169 number of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart
170 plate may have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and
171 the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
172 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
173 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
174 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
175 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
176 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
177 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
178 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
179 from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
180 Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
181 operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
182 veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
183 (c) Any revenue generated from the sale of Woman Veteran
184 license plates must be deposited into the Grants and Donations
185 Operations and Maintenance Trust Fund administered by the
186 Department of Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 20.375(2)
187 20.375(3) and must be used solely for the purpose of creating
188 and implementing programs to benefit women veterans.
189 (d) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
190 an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
191 Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
192 veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
193 appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
194 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
195 (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
196 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
197 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
198 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
199 of this state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or her
200 unremarried surviving spouse, upon application to the
201 department, shall be issued a license plate as provided in s.
202 320.06, stamped with the words “Ex-POW” and the likeness of the
203 Prisoner of War Medal followed by the serial number. Each
204 application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant
205 meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph
206 (b).
207 (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
208 of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
209 a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
210 prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
211 States were engaged in combat, or his or her unremarried
212 surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
213 provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
214 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
215 (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
216 of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
217 the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she was not a
218 United States citizen and was held as a prisoner of war when the
219 Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in combat, or his
220 or her unremarried surviving spouse, may be issued the special
221 license plate provided for in this subsection upon payment of
222 the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
223 Section 6. This act shall take effect October 1, 2017.