Florida Senate - 2025 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. SB 1280
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LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
Comm: RCS .
03/26/2025 .
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The Committee on Military and Veterans Affairs, Space, and
Domestic Security (Collins) recommended the following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Before line 50
4 insert:
5 Section 1. Section 15.0465, Florida Statutes, is amended to
6 read:
7 15.0465 Official state flagship.—The S.S. American Victory,
8 a 455-foot historic steamship built in 1944 schooner Western
9 Union, a 130-foot historic sailing vessel of the tall ship
10 class, built in Key West and first launched in 1939, is
11 designated the official state flagship.
12 Section 2. Subsections (1) and (3), paragraph (a) of
13 subsection (4), and subsection (6) of section 320.084, Florida
14 Statutes, are amended to read:
15 320.084 Free motor vehicle license plate to certain
16 disabled veterans.—
17 (1) One free disabled veteran “DV” motor vehicle license
18 number plate must shall be issued by the department for use on
19 any motor vehicle owned or leased by any disabled veteran who
20 has been a resident of this state continuously for the preceding
21 5 years or has established a domicile in this state as provided
22 by s. 222.17(1), (2), or (3), and who has been honorably
23 discharged from the United States Armed Forces, upon
24 application, accompanied by proof that:
25 (a) A vehicle was initially acquired through financial
26 assistance by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
27 or its predecessor specifically for the purchase of an
28 automobile;
29 (b) The applicant has been determined by the United States
30 Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have a
31 service-connected 100-percent disability rating for
32 compensation; or
33 (c) The applicant has been determined to have a service
34 connected disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of
35 disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States
36 Armed Services.
37 (3) The department shall, as it deems necessary, require
38 each person to whom a motor vehicle license plate has been
39 issued pursuant to subsection (1) to apply to the department for
40 reissuance of his or her registration license plate. Upon
41 receipt of the application and proof of the applicant’s
42 continued eligibility, the department shall issue a new
43 permanent disabled veteran “DV” numerical motor vehicle license
44 plate which must shall be of the colors red, white, and blue
45 similar to the colors of the United States flag. The operation
46 of a motor vehicle displaying a disabled veteran “DV” license
47 plate from a previous issue period or a noncurrent validation
48 sticker after the date specified by the department shall subject
49 the owner if he or she is present, otherwise the operator, to
50 the penalty provided in s. 318.18(2). Such permanent license
51 plate must shall be removed upon sale of the vehicle, but may be
52 transferred to another vehicle owned by such veteran in the
53 manner prescribed by law. The license number of each plate
54 issued under this section shall be identified by the letter
55 designation “DV.” Upon request of any such veteran, the
56 department is authorized to issue a designation plate containing
57 only the letters “DV,” to be displayed on the front of the
58 vehicle.
59 (4)(a) With the issuance of each new permanent disabled
60 veteran “DV” numerical motor vehicle license plate, the
61 department shall initially issue, without cost to the applicant,
62 a validation sticker reflecting the owner’s birth month and a
63 serially numbered validation sticker reflecting the year of
64 expiration. The initial sticker reflecting the year of
65 expiration may not exceed 27 months.
66 (6)(a) A disabled veteran who meets the requirements of
67 subsection (1) may be issued, in lieu of the disabled veteran
68 “DV” license plate, a military license plate for which he or she
69 is eligible or a specialty license plate embossed with the
70 initials “DV” in the top left-hand corner. A disabled veteran
71 electing a military license plate or specialty license plate
72 under this subsection must pay all applicable fees related to
73 such license plate, except for fees otherwise waived under
74 subsections (1) and (4).
75 (b) A military license plate or specialty license plate
76 elected under this subsection:
77 1. Does not provide the protections or rights afforded by
78 ss. 316.1955, 316.1964, 320.0848, 526.141, and 553.5041.
79 2. Is not eligible for the international symbol of
80 accessibility as described in s. 320.0842.
81
82 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
83 And the title is amended as follows:
84 Delete line 2
85 and insert:
86 An act relating to military affairs; amending s.
87 15.0465, F.S.; redesignating the official state
88 flagship as the S.S. American Victory; amending s.
89 320.084, F.S.; requiring that a free disabled veteran
90 motor vehicle license plate be issued by the
91 Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles for
92 use on any motor vehicle owned or leased by certain
93 disabled veterans; deleting the requirement that such
94 plates be issued with the identifying letter
95 designation of “DV”; authorizing the issuance of a
96 military license plate with a certain embossing;
97 providing that certain protections and rights do apply
98 to certain military or specialty license plates;
99 amending s. 295.124,