Florida Senate - 2017 CS for SB 1022
By the Committee on Transportation; and Senators Stewart and
Torres
596-02742-17 20171022c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to license plates; amending ss.
3 320.08056 and 320.08058, F.S.; directing the
4 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to
5 develop an American Eagle license plate; establishing
6 an annual use fee for the plate; providing for
7 distribution and use of fees collected from the sale
8 of the plates; amending s. 320.089, F.S.; providing
9 for a special license plate to be issued to a
10 recipient of the Bronze Star; requiring the likeness
11 of the Prisoner of War Medal to appear on the Ex-POW
12 license plate; providing an effective date.
13
14 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
15
16 Section 1. Paragraph (ffff) is added to subsection (4) of
17 section 320.08056, Florida Statutes, to read:
18 320.08056 Specialty license plates.—
19 (4) The following license plate annual use fees shall be
20 collected for the appropriate specialty license plates:
21 (ffff) American Eagle license plate, $25.
22 Section 2. Subsection (84) is added to section 320.08058,
23 Florida Statutes, to read:
24 320.08058 Specialty license plates.—
25 (84) AMERICAN EAGLE LICENSE PLATES.—
26 (a) The department shall develop an American Eagle license
27 plate as provided in this section and s. 320.08053. The plate
28 must bear the colors and design approved by the department. The
29 word “Florida” must appear at the top of the plate, and the
30 words “God Bless America” must appear at the bottom of the
31 plate.
32 (b) The annual use fees from the sale of the plate shall be
33 distributed to the American Eagle Foundation for deposit in the
34 foundation’s national endowment fund, which may use up to 15
35 percent of such fees for administrative costs and marketing the
36 plate. The balance of the fees shall be used by the American
37 Eagle Foundation to fund public education programs, rescue and
38 care programs, and other conservation efforts in Florida that
39 benefit bald eagles.
40 Section 3. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 320.089,
41 Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
42 320.089 Veterans of the United States Armed Forces; members
43 of National Guard; survivors of Pearl Harbor; Purple Heart medal
44 recipients; active or retired United States Armed Forces
45 reservists; Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical Badge, or
46 Combat Action Badge recipients; Combat Action Ribbon recipients;
47 Air Force Combat Action Medal recipients; Distinguished Flying
48 Cross recipients; former prisoners of war; Korean War Veterans;
49 Vietnam War Veterans; Operation Desert Shield Veterans;
50 Operation Desert Storm Veterans; Operation Enduring Freedom
51 Veterans; Operation Iraqi Freedom Veterans; Women Veterans;
52 World War II Veterans; and Navy Submariners; Special license
53 plates for military servicemembers, veterans, and Pearl Harbor
54 Survivors; fee.—
55 (1)(a) Upon application to the department and payment of
56 the license tax for the vehicle as provided in s. 320.08, a
57 resident of the state who owns or leases Each owner or lessee of
58 an automobile or truck for private use or recreational vehicle
59 as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d), which is not used for
60 hire or commercial use, shall be issued a license plate pursuant
61 to the following if the applicant provides the department with
62 proof he or she meets the qualifications listed in this section
63 for the applicable license plate:
64 1. A person released or discharged from any branch who is a
65 resident of the state and a veteran of the United States Armed
66 Forces shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
67 “Veteran” or, a “Woman Veteran” followed by the serial number of
68 the license plate.,
69 2. A World War II Veteran shall be issued a license plate
70 stamped with the term “WWII Veteran” followed by the serial
71 number of the license plate.,
72 3. A Navy Submariner shall be issued a license plate
73 stamped with the term “Navy Submariner” followed by the serial
74 number of the license plate.,
75 4. An active or retired member of the Florida National
76 Guard shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
77 “National Guard” followed by the serial number of the license
78 plate.
79 5. A member of the Pearl Harbor Survivors Association or
80 other person on active military duty in Pearl Harbor on December
81 7, 1941, shall be issued a license plate stamped with the term
82 “Pearl Harbor Survivor” followed by the serial number of the
83 license plate., a survivor of the attack on Pearl Harbor,
84 6. A recipient of the Purple Heart medal shall be issued a
85 license plate stamped with the term “Combat-wounded Veteran”
86 followed by the serial number of the license plate. The Purple
87 Heart plate may have the term “Purple Heart” stamped on the
88 plate and the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on
89 the plate.,
90 7. An active or retired member of any branch of the United
91 States Armed Forces Reserve shall be issued a license plate
92 stamped with the term “U.S. Reserve” followed by the serial
93 number of the license plate.
94 8. A member of the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc.,
95 or a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat Medical
96 Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, or Air Force
97 Combat Action Medal shall be issued a license plate stamped with
98 the term “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,”
99 “Combat Action Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” or “Air Force
100 Combat Action Medal,” as appropriate, and a likeness of the
101 related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial number
102 of the license plate.
103 9. A recipient of the, or Distinguished Flying Cross shall
104 be issued a license plate stamped with the term “Distinguished
105 Flying Cross” and a likeness of the Distinguished Flying Cross
106 followed by the serial number of the license plate.
107 10. A recipient of the Bronze Star shall be issued a
108 license plate stamped with the term “Bronze Star” and a likeness
109 of the Bronze Star followed by the serial number of the license
110 plate., upon application to the department, accompanied by proof
111 of release or discharge from any branch of the United States
112 Armed Forces, proof of active membership or retired status in
113 the Florida National Guard, proof of membership in the Pearl
114 Harbor Survivors Association or proof of active military duty in
115 Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, proof of being a Purple Heart
116 medal recipient, proof of active or retired membership in any
117 branch of the United States Armed Forces Reserve, or proof of
118 membership in the Combat Infantrymen’s Association, Inc., proof
119 of being a recipient of the Combat Infantry Badge, Combat
120 Medical Badge, Combat Action Badge, Combat Action Ribbon, Air
121 Force Combat Action Medal, or Distinguished Flying Cross, and
122 upon payment of the license tax for the vehicle as provided in
123 s. 320.08, shall be issued a license plate as provided by s.
124 320.06 which, in lieu of the serial numbers prescribed by s.
125 320.06, is stamped with the words “Veteran,” “Woman Veteran,”
126 “WWII Veteran,” “Navy Submariner,” “National Guard,” “Pearl
127 Harbor Survivor,” “Combat-wounded veteran,” “U.S. Reserve,”
128 “Combat Infantry Badge,” “Combat Medical Badge,” “Combat Action
129 Badge,” “Combat Action Ribbon,” “Air Force Combat Action Medal,”
130 or “Distinguished Flying Cross,” as appropriate, and a likeness
131 of the related campaign medal or badge, followed by the serial
132 number of the license plate. Additionally, the Purple Heart
133 plate may have the words “Purple Heart” stamped on the plate and
134 the likeness of the Purple Heart medal appearing on the plate.
135 (b) Notwithstanding any other provision of law to the
136 contrary, beginning with fiscal year 2002-2003 and annually
137 thereafter, the first $100,000 in general revenue generated from
138 the sale of license plates issued under this section shall be
139 deposited into the Grants and Donations Trust Fund, as described
140 in s. 296.38(2), to be used for the purposes established by law
141 for that trust fund. Any additional general revenue generated
142 from the sale of such plates shall be deposited into the State
143 Homes for Veterans Trust Fund and used solely to construct,
144 operate, and maintain domiciliary and nursing homes for
145 veterans, subject to the requirements of chapter 216.
146 (c) Any revenue generated from the sale of Woman Veteran
147 license plates must be deposited into the Operations and
148 Maintenance Trust Fund administered by the Department of
149 Veterans’ Affairs pursuant to s. 20.375(3) and must be used
150 solely for the purpose of creating and implementing programs to
151 benefit women veterans.
152 (d) Notwithstanding any provisions of law to the contrary,
153 an applicant for a Pearl Harbor Survivor license plate or a
154 Purple Heart license plate who also qualifies for a disabled
155 veteran’s license plate under s. 320.084 shall be issued the
156 appropriate special license plate without payment of the license
157 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
158 (2) Each owner or lessee of an automobile or truck for
159 private use, a truck weighing not more than 7,999 pounds, or a
160 recreational vehicle as specified in s. 320.08(9)(c) or (d),
161 which is not used for hire or commercial use who is a resident
162 of this state and who is a former prisoner of war, or his or her
163 unremarried surviving spouse, upon application to the
164 department, shall be issued a license plate as provided in s.
165 320.06, stamped with the words “Ex-POW” and the likeness of the
166 Prisoner of War Medal followed by the serial number. Each
167 application shall be accompanied by proof that the applicant
168 meets the qualifications specified in paragraph (a) or paragraph
169 (b).
170 (a) A citizen of the United States who served as a member
171 of the Armed Forces of the United States or the armed forces of
172 a nation allied with the United States who was held as a
173 prisoner of war at such time as the Armed Forces of the United
174 States were engaged in combat, or his or her unremarried
175 surviving spouse, may be issued the special license plate
176 provided for in this subsection without payment of the license
177 tax imposed by s. 320.08.
178 (b) A person who was serving as a civilian with the consent
179 of the United States Government, or a person who was a member of
180 the Armed Forces of the United States while he or she was not a
181 United States citizen and was held as a prisoner of war when the
182 Armed Forces of the United States were engaged in combat, or his
183 or her unremarried surviving spouse, may be issued the special
184 license plate provided for in this subsection upon payment of
185 the license tax imposed by s. 320.08.
186 Section 4. This act shall take effect October 1, 2017