Florida Senate - 2025                        COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
       Bill No. CS for SB 1348
       
       
       
       
       
       
                                Ì388348PÎ388348                         
       
                              LEGISLATIVE ACTION                        
                    Senate             .             House              
                  Comm: RCS            .                                
                  04/16/2025           .                                
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       The Appropriations Committee on Transportation, Tourism, and
       Economic Development (Collins) recommended the following:
       
    1         Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
    2  
    3         Delete lines 140 - 162
    4  and insert:
    5         Section 4. Subsections (1) and (3), paragraphs (a) and (c)
    6  of subsection (4), and subsection (6) of section 320.084,
    7  Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
    8         320.084 Free motor vehicle license plate to certain
    9  disabled veterans.—
   10         (1) One free disabled veteran “DV” motor vehicle license
   11  number plate shall be issued by the department for use on any
   12  motor vehicle owned or leased by any disabled veteran who has
   13  been a resident of this state continuously for the preceding 5
   14  years or has established a domicile in this state as provided by
   15  s. 222.17(1), (2), or (3), and who has been honorably discharged
   16  from the United States Armed Forces, upon application,
   17  accompanied by proof that:
   18         (a) A vehicle was initially acquired through financial
   19  assistance by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs
   20  or its predecessor specifically for the purchase of an
   21  automobile;
   22         (b) The applicant has been determined by the United States
   23  Department of Veterans Affairs or its predecessor to have a
   24  service-connected 100-percent disability rating for
   25  compensation; or
   26         (c) The applicant has been determined to have a service
   27  connected disability rating of 100 percent and is in receipt of
   28  disability retirement pay from any branch of the United States
   29  Armed Services.
   30         (3) The department shall, as it deems necessary, require
   31  each person to whom a motor vehicle license plate has been
   32  issued pursuant to subsection (1) to apply to the department for
   33  reissuance of his or her registration license plate. Upon
   34  receipt of the application and proof of the applicant’s
   35  continued eligibility, the department shall issue a new
   36  permanent disabled veteran “DV” numerical motor vehicle license
   37  plate which shall be of the colors red, white, and blue similar
   38  to the colors of the United States flag. The operation of a
   39  motor vehicle displaying a disabled veteran “DV” license plate
   40  from a previous issue period or a noncurrent validation sticker
   41  after the date specified by the department shall subject the
   42  owner if he or she is present, otherwise the operator, to the
   43  penalty provided in s. 318.18(2). Such permanent license plate
   44  shall be removed upon sale of the vehicle, but may be
   45  transferred to another vehicle owned by such veteran in the
   46  manner prescribed by law. The license number of each plate
   47  issued under this section shall be identified by the letter
   48  designation “DV.” Upon request of any such veteran, the
   49  department is authorized to issue a designation plate containing
   50  only the letters “DV,” to be displayed on the front of the
   51  vehicle.
   52         (4)(a) With the issuance of each new permanent disabled
   53  veteran “DV” numerical motor vehicle license plate, the
   54  department shall initially issue, without cost to the applicant,
   55  a validation sticker reflecting the owner’s birth month and a
   56  serially numbered validation sticker reflecting the year of
   57  expiration. The initial sticker reflecting the year of
   58  expiration may not exceed 27 months.
   59         (c) Registration under this section shall be renewed
   60  annually or biennially during the applicable renewal period on
   61  forms prescribed by the department, which shall include, in
   62  addition to any other information required by the department, a
   63  certified statement as to the continued eligibility of the
   64  applicant to receive the disabled veteran special “DV” license
   65  plate. Any applicant who falsely or fraudulently submits to the
   66  department the certified statement required by this paragraph is
   67  guilty of a noncriminal violation and is subject to a civil
   68  penalty of $50.
   69         (6)(a) A disabled veteran who meets the requirements of
   70  subsection (1) may be issued, in lieu of the disabled veteran
   71  “DV” license plate, a military license plate for which he or she
   72  is eligible or a specialty license plate embossed with the
   73  initials “DV” in the top left-hand corner. A disabled veteran
   74  electing a military license plate or specialty license plate
   75  under this subsection must pay all applicable fees related to
   76  such license plate, except for fees otherwise waived under
   77  subsections (1) and (4).
   78         (b) A military license plate or specialty license plate
   79  elected under this subsection:
   80         1. Does not provide the protections or rights afforded by
   81  ss. 316.1955, 316.1964, 320.0848, 526.141, and 553.5041.
   82         2. is not eligible for the international symbol of
   83  accessibility as described in s. 320.0842.
   84         Section 5. Paragraph (d) of subsection (1) and paragraph
   85  (e) of subsection (2) of section 320.0848, Florida Statutes, are
   86  amended to read:
   87         320.0848 Persons who have disabilities; issuance of
   88  disabled parking permits; temporary permits; permits for certain
   89  providers of transportation services to persons who have
   90  disabilities.—
   91         (1)
   92         (d) The department shall renew the disabled parking permit
   93  of a any person certified as permanently disabled on the
   94  previous application for a subsequent 4-year period without
   95  requiring the person to provide another certificate of
   96  disability or United States Department of Veterans Affairs Form
   97  Letter 27-333, or its equivalent, as applicable. After such 4
   98  year period, the department shall renew the disabled parking
   99  permit if the person provides a certificate of disability issued
  100  within the last 12 months pursuant to this subsection. A veteran
  101  who has been previously evaluated and certified by the United
  102  States Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the
  103  United States Armed Forces as permanently and totally disabled
  104  from a service-connected disability may provide a United States
  105  Department of Veterans Affairs Form Letter 27-333, or its
  106  equivalent, issued within the last 12 months in lieu of a
  107  certificate of disability.
  108         (2) DISABLED PARKING PERMIT; PERSONS WITH LONG-TERM
  109  MOBILITY PROBLEMS.—
  110         (e) A person who qualifies for a disabled parking permit
  111  under this section may be issued an international wheelchair
  112  user symbol license plate under s. 320.0843 in lieu of the
  113  disabled parking permit; or, if the person qualifies for a
  114  disabled veteran “DV” license plate under s. 320.084, such a
  115  license plate may be issued to him or her in lieu of a disabled
  116  parking permit.
  117  
  118  ================= T I T L E  A M E N D M E N T ================
  119  And the title is amended as follows:
  120         Delete lines 13 - 16
  121  and insert:
  122         mail; amending s. 320.084, F.S.; providing for
  123         disabled veteran motor vehicle license plates in lieu
  124         of “DV” motor vehicle license plates; amending s.
  125         320.0848, F.S.; requiring the department to renew
  126         certain disabled parking permits for a specified
  127         period without requiring certain documentation;
  128         conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
  129         amending s. 322.02, F.S.; revising the