1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to veterans; authorizing license plates for
1.3 	veterans of global war on terrorism; amending
1.4 	Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 168.123, subdivisions
1.5 	1, 2.
1.6 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.7 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 168.123,
1.8 	subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.9 		Subdivision 1.General requirements; fees.  (a) On
1.10 	payment of a fee of $10 for each set of two plates, or for a
1.11 	single plate in the case of a motorcycle plate, payment of the
1.12 	registration tax required by law, and compliance with other laws
1.13 	relating to the registration and licensing of a passenger
1.14 	automobile, pickup truck, van, self-propelled recreational
1.15 	equipment, or motorcycle, as applicable, the registrar shall
1.16 	issue:
1.17 	(1) special license plates to an applicant who served in
1.18 	the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of
1.19 	the United States or of a nation or society allied with the
1.20 	United States in conducting a foreign war, was discharged under
1.21 	honorable conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a
1.22 	passenger automobile, pickup truck, van, or self-propelled
1.23 	recreational equipment; or
1.24 	(2) a special motorcycle license plate as described in
1.25 	subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (h), or (i),or another special
2.1 	license plate designed by the commissioner of public safety to
2.2 	an applicant who is a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1,
2.3 	1961, and before July 1, 1978, and who served in the active
2.4 	military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United
2.5 	States in conducting a foreign war, was discharged under
2.6 	honorable conditions, and is an owner or joint owner of a
2.7 	motorcycle and meets the criteria listed in this paragraph and
2.8 	in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (h), or (i).  Plates issued
2.9 	under this clause must be the same size as standard motorcycle
2.10 	license plates.
2.11 	(b) The additional fee of $10 is payable for each set of
2.12 	plates, is payable only when the plates are issued, and is not
2.13 	payable in a year in which tabs or stickers are issued instead
2.14 	of number plates.  An applicant must not be issued more than two
2.15 	sets of plates for more than two vehicles listed in paragraph (a)
2.16 	and owned or jointly owned by the applicant.
2.17 	(c) The veteran shall must have a certified copy of the
2.18 	veteran's discharge papers, indicating character of discharge,
2.19 	at the time of application.  If an applicant served in the
2.20 	active military service in a branch of the armed forces of a
2.21 	nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a
2.22 	foreign war and is unable to obtain a record of that service and
2.23 	discharge status, the commissioner of veterans affairs may
2.24 	certify the applicant as qualified for the veterans' license
2.25 	plates provided under this section.

2.26 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 168.123,
2.27 	subdivision 2, is amended to read:
2.28 		Subd. 2.Design.  The commissioner of veterans affairs
2.29 	shall design the special plates, subject to the approval of the
2.30 	registrar, that satisfy the following requirements:
2.31 	(a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961,
2.32 	and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the
2.33 	inscription "VIETNAM VET" and the letters "V" and "V" with the
2.34 	first letter directly above the second letter and both letters
2.35 	just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate
2.36 	number.
3.1 	(b) For a veteran stationed on the island of Oahu, Hawaii,
3.2 	or offshore, during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7,
3.3 	1941, the special plates must bear the inscription "PEARL HARBOR
3.4 	SURVIVOR" and the letters "P" and "H" with the first letter
3.5 	directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding
3.6 	the first numeral of the special license plate number.
3.7 	(c) For a veteran who served during World War I or World
3.8 	War II, the special plates must bear the inscription "WORLD WAR
3.9 	VET" and:
3.10 	(1) for a World War I veteran, the characters "W" and "I"
3.11 	with the first character directly above the second character and
3.12 	both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special
3.13 	license plate number; or
3.14 	(2) for a World War II veteran, the characters "W" and "II"
3.15 	with the first character directly above the second character and
3.16 	both characters just preceding the first numeral of the special
3.17 	license plate number.
3.18 	(d) For a veteran who served during the Korean Conflict,
3.19 	the special plates must bear the inscription "KOREAN VET" and
3.20 	the letters "K" and "V" with the first letter directly above the
3.21 	second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral
3.22 	of the special license plate number.
3.23 	(e) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the
3.24 	purple heart medal, the special plates must bear the inscription
3.25 	"COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and inscribed with a facsimile of the
3.26 	official purple heart medal and the letters "C" over "W" with
3.27 	the first letter directly over the second letter just preceding
3.28 	the first numeral of the special license plate number.
3.29 	(f) For a Persian Gulf war veteran, the special plates must
3.30 	bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET" and the letters "G" and "W"
3.31 	with the first letter directly above the second letter and both
3.32 	letters just preceding the first numeral of the special license
3.33 	plate number.  For the purposes of this section, "Persian Gulf
3.34 	war veteran" means a person who served on active duty after
3.35 	August 1, 1990, in a branch of the armed forces of the United
3.36 	States or United Nations during Operation Desert Shield,
4.1 	Operation Desert Storm, or other military operation in the
4.2 	Persian Gulf area combat zone as designated in United States
4.3 	Presidential Executive Order No. 12744, dated January 21, 1991.
4.4 	(g) For a veteran who served in the Laos War after July 1,
4.5 	1961, and before July 1, 1978, the special plates must bear the
4.6 	inscription "LAOS WAR VET" and the letters "L" and "V" with the
4.7 	first letter directly above the second letter and both letters
4.8 	just preceding the first numeral of the special license plate
4.9 	number.
4.10 	(h) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Global War on
4.11 	Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be
4.12 	inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and:
4.13 	(1) if the veteran served in Operation Iraqi Freedom, the
4.14 	special plates must bear the inscription "IRAQ WAR VET" directly
4.15 	below the special license plate number;
4.16 	(2) if the veteran served in Operation Enduring Freedom,
4.17 	the special plates must bear the inscription "AFGHAN WAR VET"
4.18 	directly below the special license plate number; or 
4.19 	(3) if the veteran served in any other theater of
4.20 	operations, the special plates must bear the inscription "GWOT
4.21 	VETERAN directly below the special license plate number.
4.22 	(i) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Global War on
4.23 	Terrorism Service Medal, the special plates must be inscribed
4.24 	with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription
4.25 	"GWOT VET SERVICE" directly below the special license plate
4.26 	number.  In addition, any member of the National Guard or other
4.27 	military reserves who has been ordered to federally funded state
4.28 	active service under United States Code, title 32, as defined in
4.29 	section 190.05, subdivision 5b, and who is the recipient of the
4.30 	Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, is eligible for the
4.31 	license plate described in this paragraph, irrespective of
4.32 	whether that person qualifies as a veteran under section 197.447.

4.33 	Sec. 3. EXEMPTION FROM STUDY.
 4.34 	The special license plates authorized under sections 1 and
4.35 	2 are not subject to Minnesota Statutes, section 168.1293.

4.36 	Sec. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 5.1 	Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final
5.2 	enactment.