HF 731

as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 01/23/2023 03:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; providing fee exemptions for motor vehicles bearing
Purple Heart medal special plates; amending Minnesota Statutes 2022, sections
168.12, subdivision 2a; 168.123, subdivision 2; 168.1293, subdivision 5; proposing
coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 168.12, subdivision 2a, is amended to read:

Subd. 2a.

Personalized plates; rules.

(a) The commissioner may issue personalized
plates or, if requested for special plates issued under section 168.123 for veterans, 168.124
for medal of honor recipients, new text begin 168.1245 for Purple Heart medal recipients, new text end or 168.125 for
former prisoners of war, applicable personalized special veterans plates, to an applicant
who:

(1) is an owner of a passenger automobile including a passenger automobile registered
as a classic car, pioneer car, collector car, or street rod; any truck with a manufacturer's
nominal rated capacity of one ton or less and resembling a pickup truck; a motorcycle,
including a classic motorcycle; a motorized bicycle; a commuter van as defined in section
168.126; or a recreational vehicle;

(2) pays a onetime fee of $100 and any other fees required by this chapter;

(3) pays the registration tax required by this chapter for the motor vehicle; and

(4) complies with this chapter and rules governing registration of motor vehicles and
licensing of drivers.

(b) The commissioner shall charge a replacement fee for personalized license plates and
personalized special veterans plates issued under section 168.123 as specified in subdivision
5. This fee must be paid by the applicant whenever the personalized plates are required to
be replaced by law, except that as provided in deleted text begin section deleted text end new text begin sections new text end 168.124, subdivision 3,
new text begin 168.1245, subdivision 3, new text end and 168.125, subdivision 1b, no fee may be charged to replace
plates issued under those sections.

(c) In lieu of the registration number assigned as provided in subdivision 1, personalized
plates and personalized special veterans plates must have imprinted on them a series of not
more than seven numbers and letters, or five numbers and letters for personalized special
veterans plates, in any combination and, as applicable, satisfy the design requirements of
section 168.123, 168.124, new text begin 168.1245, new text end or 168.125. When an applicant has once obtained
personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates, the applicant shall have a prior
claim for similar personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates in the next
succeeding year as long as current motor vehicle registration is maintained.

(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules in the manner provided by chapter 14, regulating
the issuance and transfer of personalized plates and personalized special veterans plates.
No words or combination of letters placed on these plates may be used for commercial
advertising, be of an obscene, indecent, or immoral nature, or be of a nature that would
offend public morals or decency. The call signals or letters of a radio or television station
are not commercial advertising for the purposes of this subdivision.

(e) Despite the provisions of subdivision 1, personalized plates and personalized special
veterans plates issued under this subdivision may be transferred to another motor vehicle
listed in paragraph (a) and owned by the applicant, upon the payment of a fee of $5.

(f) The commissioner may by rule specify the format for notification.

(g) A personalized plate or personalized special veterans plate issued for a classic car,
pioneer car, collector car, street rod, or classic motorcycle may not be transferred to a vehicle
not eligible for such a plate.

(h) Despite any law to the contrary, if the personalized license plates are lost, stolen, or
destroyed, the applicant may apply and must be issued duplicate license plates bearing the
same combination of letters and numbers and the same design as (1) the former personalized
plates or personalized special veterans plates under section 168.123 upon the payment of
the fee required by section 168.29 or (2) the former personalized special veterans plates
issued under section 168.124 new text begin , 168.1245, new text end or 168.125, without charge.

(i) A personalized vertical motorcycle plate may be issued upon payment of an additional
payment of $100. The vertical plate must have not more than four identification characters,
cannot be a duplication of any current or reserved license plate, and must meet the
requirements in paragraph (d).

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 168.123, subdivision 2, is amended to read:

Subd. 2.

Design.

The commissioner of veterans affairs shall design the emblem for the
veterans' special plates, subject to the approval of the commissioner, that satisfy the following
requirements:

(a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, and before July 1, 1978, in the
active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United States or a nation or
society allied with the United States the special plates must bear the inscription "VIETNAM
VET."

(b) For a veteran stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, or offshore, during the attack
on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, the special plates must bear the inscription "PEARL
HARBOR SURVIVOR."

(c) For a veteran who served during World War II, the plates must bear the inscription
"WORLD WAR VET."

(d) For a veteran who served during the Korean Conflict, the special plates must bear
the inscription "KOREAN VET."

deleted text begin (e) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the Purple Heart medal, the
plates must bear the inscription "COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and have a facsimile or an
emblem of the official Purple Heart medal.
deleted text end

deleted text begin A member of the United States armed forces who is serving actively in the military and
who is a recipient of the Purple Heart medal is also eligible for this license plate. The
commissioner of public safety shall ensure that information regarding the required proof of
eligibility for any applicant under this paragraph who has not yet been issued military
discharge papers is distributed to the public officials responsible for administering this
section.
deleted text end

deleted text begin (f) deleted text end new text begin (e) new text end For a Persian Gulf War veteran, the plates must bear the inscription "GULF WAR
VET." For the purposes of this section, "Persian Gulf War veteran" means a person who
served on active duty after August 1, 1990, in a branch of the armed forces of the United
States or a nation or society allied with the United States or the United Nations during
Operation Desert Shield, Operation Desert Storm, or other military operation in the Persian
Gulf area combat zone as designated in United States Presidential Executive Order No.
12744, dated January 21, 1991.

deleted text begin (g) deleted text end new text begin (f) new text end For a veteran who served in the Laos War after July 1, 1961, and before July 1,
1978, the special plates must bear the inscription "LAOS WAR VET."

deleted text begin (h) deleted text end new text begin (g) new text end For a veteran who is the recipient of:

(1) the Iraq Campaign Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of
that medal and must bear the inscription "IRAQ WAR VET" directly below the special
plate number;

(2) the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile
of that medal and must bear the inscription "AFGHAN WAR VET" directly below the
special plate number;

(3) the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be
inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription "GWOT VETERAN"
directly below the special plate number; or

(4) the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must bear an appropriate
inscription that includes a facsimile of that medal.

deleted text begin (i) deleted text end new text begin (h) new text end For a veteran who is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal,
the special plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the
inscription "GWOT VETERAN" directly below the special plate number. In addition, any
member of the National Guard or other military reserves who has been ordered to federally
funded state active service under United States Code, title 32, as defined in section 190.05,
subdivision 5b, and who is the recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, is
eligible for the license plate described in this paragraph, irrespective of whether that person
qualifies as a veteran under section 197.447.

deleted text begin (j) deleted text end new text begin (i) new text end For a veteran who is the recipient of the Korean Defense Service Medal, the special
plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription
"KOREAN DEFENSE SERVICE" directly below the special plate number.

deleted text begin (k) deleted text end new text begin (j) new text end For a veteran who is a recipient of the Bronze Star medal, the plates must bear
the inscription "BRONZE STAR VET" and have a facsimile or an emblem of the official
Bronze Star medal.

deleted text begin (l) deleted text end new text begin (k) new text end For a veteran who is a recipient of the Silver Star medal, the plates must bear the
inscription "SILVER STAR VET" and have a facsimile or an emblem of the official Silver
Star medal.

deleted text begin (m) deleted text end new text begin (l) new text end For a woman veteran, the plates must bear the inscription "WOMAN VETERAN"
and have a facsimile or an emblem as designated by the commissioners of veterans affairs
and public safety.

Sec. 3.

new text begin [168.1245] SPECIAL PLATES FOR PURPLE HEART RECIPIENTS.
new text end

new text begin Subdivision 1. new text end

new text begin Issuance and design. new text end

new text begin (a) The commissioner shall issue special plates
bearing the inscription "COMBAT WOUNDED VET" to an applicant who:
new text end

new text begin (1) is a recipient of the Purple Heart medal;
new text end

new text begin (2) is a registered owner of a passenger automobile, motorcycle, or recreational motor
vehicle; and
new text end

new text begin (3) complies with this chapter and rules governing the registration of motor vehicles and
licensing of drivers.
new text end

new text begin (b) The special plates must be of a design and size determined by the commissioner but
must have a facsimile or an emblem of the official Purple Heart medal. Only one set of
plates, or a single plate in the case of a motorcycle, bearing the inscription "COMBAT
WOUNDED VET" may be issued for each qualified applicant.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 2. new text end

new text begin Application. new text end

new text begin Application for issuance of these plates may be made only at the
time of renewal or first application for registration. The commissioner of public safety shall
ensure that information regarding the required proof of eligibility for any applicant under
this section who has not yet been issued military discharge papers is distributed to the public
officials responsible for administering section 168.123.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 3. new text end

new text begin No fee. new text end

new text begin The commissioner must issue a set of Purple Heart plates to qualified
applicants free of charge, and the plates must be replaced without charge if they become
damaged. In addition, no fee may be charged for a subsequent year when stickers are issued
for a motor vehicle listed in subdivision 1 on which the Purple Heart plates are placed. The
motor vehicle must be for personal use, not commercial purposes.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 4. new text end

new text begin Plates transfer. new text end

new text begin Notwithstanding section 168.12, subdivision 1, on application
to the commissioner, special plates issued under this section may be transferred to another
motor vehicle if the subsequent vehicle is:
new text end

new text begin (1) qualified under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (2), to bear the special plates;
and
new text end

new text begin (2) registered to the same individual to whom the special plates were originally issued.
new text end

new text begin The commissioner must not charge a fee for a transfer under this subdivision.
new text end

new text begin Subd. 5. new text end

new text begin Exemption. new text end

new text begin Special plates issued under this section are not subject to section
168.1293, subdivision 2.
new text end

Sec. 4.

Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 168.1293, subdivision 5, is amended to read:

Subd. 5.

Discontinuance of plate.

(a) The commissioner shall discontinue the issuance
or renewal of any proximate special plate if (1) fewer than 1,000 sets of those plates are
currently registered at the end of the first six years during which the plates are available, or
(2) fewer than 1,000 sets of those plates are currently registered at the end of any subsequent
two-year period following the first six years of availability.

(b) The commissioner shall discontinue the issuance or renewal of any proximate special
plate, and distribution of any contributions resulting from that plate, if the commissioner
determines that (1) the fund or requester receiving the contributions no longer exists, (2)
the requester has stopped providing services that are authorized to be funded from the
contribution proceeds, (3) the requester has requested discontinuance, or (4) contributions
have been used in violation of subdivision 6.

(c) Nothing in this subdivision applies to plates issued under section 168.123, 168.124,
new text begin 168.1245, new text end 168.125, or 168.1255.

(d) Upon commencing discontinuance of a proximate special plate under this subdivision,
the commissioner (1) shall not issue the plate, including as a duplicate; and (2) shall allow
retention of any existing plate for the regular period. For purposes of this paragraph, "regular
period" may be, as appropriate, the period specified under section 168.12, subdivision 1;
the time until issuance of a duplicate plate for that vehicle; or as otherwise provided by law.