1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to motor vehicles; creating special Gold Star Family license plates 
1.3 	for family members of military personnel who have died in active military 
1.4 	service; exempting motor vehicle registration fee for certain survivors; amending 
1.5 	Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 168.12, subdivision 2a; proposing 
1.6 	coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 168.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2005 Supplement, section 168.12, subdivision 2a, 
1.9 	is amended to read:
1.10 		Subd. 2a.Personalized plates; rules. (a) The commissioner shall issue personalized 
1.11 	plates or, if requested for special plates issued under section 168.123 for veterans, 
1.12 	168.124 for medal of honor recipients, or 168.125 for former prisoners of war, applicable 
1.13 	personalized special veterans plates, to an applicant who:
1.14 	(1) is an owner of a passenger automobile including a passenger automobile 
1.15 	registered as a classic car, pioneer car, collector car, or street rod; any truck with a 
1.16 	manufacturer's nominal rated capacity of one ton or less and resembling a pickup truck; a 
1.17 	motorcycle, including a classic motorcycle; or a recreational motor vehicle;
1.18 	(2) pays a onetime fee of $100 and any other fees required by this chapter;
1.19 	(3)  pays a onetime surcharge of $3, to be titled the "Gold Star Family Plate 
1.20 	Surcharge," the proceeds of which must be deposited in the highway user tax distribution 
1.21 	fund; 
1.22 	(4) pays the registration tax required by this chapter for the motor vehicle; and
1.23 	(4) (5)  complies with this chapter and rules governing registration of motor vehicles 
1.24 	and licensing of drivers.
2.1 	(b) The commissioner shall charge a replacement fee for personalized license plates 
2.2 	and personalized special veterans plates issued under section 168.123 as specified in 
2.3 	subdivision 5. This fee must be paid by the applicant whenever the personalized plates are 
2.4 	required to be replaced by law, except that as provided in section 168.124, subdivision 
2.5 	3, and 168.125, subdivision 1b, no fee may be charged to replace plates issued under 
2.6 	those sections.
2.7 	(c) In lieu of the registration number assigned as provided in subdivision 1, 
2.8 	personalized plates and personalized special veterans plates must have imprinted on them 
2.9 	a series of not more than seven numbers and letters, or five numbers and letters for 
2.10 	personalized special veterans plates, in any combination and, as applicable, satisfy the 
2.11 	design requirements of section 168.123, 168.124, or 168.125. When an applicant has once 
2.12 	obtained personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates, the applicant shall 
2.13 	have a prior claim for similar personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates in 
2.14 	the next succeeding year as long as current motor vehicle registration is maintained.
2.15 	(d) The commissioner shall adopt rules in the manner provided by chapter 14, 
2.16 	regulating the issuance and transfer of personalized plates and personalized special 
2.17 	veterans plates. No words or combination of letters placed on these plates may be used 
2.18 	for commercial advertising, be of an obscene, indecent, or immoral nature, or be of a 
2.19 	nature that would offend public morals or decency. The call signals or letters of a radio or 
2.20 	television station are not commercial advertising for the purposes of this subdivision.
2.21 	(e) Despite the provisions of subdivision 1, personalized plates and personalized 
2.22 	special veterans plates issued under this subdivision may be transferred to another motor 
2.23 	vehicle listed in paragraph (a) and owned by the applicant, upon the payment of a fee of $5.
2.24 	(f) The commissioner may by rule specify the format for notification.
2.25 	(g) A personalized plate or personalized special veterans plate issued for a classic 
2.26 	car, pioneer car, collector car, street rod, or classic motorcycle may not be transferred 
2.27 	to a vehicle not eligible for such a plate.
2.28 	(h) Despite any law to the contrary, if the personalized license plates are lost, stolen, 
2.29 	or destroyed, the applicant may apply and must be issued duplicate license plates bearing 
2.30 	the same combination of letters and numbers and the same design as (1) the former 
2.31 	personalized plates or personalized special veterans plates under section 168.123 upon 
2.32 	the payment of the fee required by section 168.29 or (2) the former personalized special 
2.33 	veterans plates issued under section 168.124 or 168.125, without charge.

2.34 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006. 

2.35 	Sec. 2. [168.1253] GOLD STAR FAMILY LICENSE PLATE.
3.1 		Subdivision 1.Issuance; eligibility.  The commissioner shall issue special plates 
3.2 	bearing the inscription "GOLD STAR FAMILY" to an applicant who is an owner or joint 
3.3 	owner of a motor vehicle, who is certified in writing by the United States Department of 
3.4 	Veterans Affairs or the state commissioner of veterans affairs as being an eligible person, 
3.5 	and who complies with all laws relating to the registration and licensing of motor vehicles 
3.6 	and drivers.  The certification must indicate whether the person is an eligible person as 
3.7 	defined in either clause (1) or clause (2) of subdivision 2, paragraph (b).
3.8 		Subd. 2. Definitions. For purposes of this section:
3.9 	(a) "Active military service" has the meaning given in section 190.05, subdivision 5. 
3.10 	(b) The term "eligible person" includes: 
3.11 	(1) the surviving spouse or surviving biological or adoptive parent of a person 
3.12 	who has died while serving honorably in active military service in the United States 
3.13 	armed forces; and 
3.14 	(2) the surviving biological or adoptive grandparent, sibling, or child of a person 
3.15 	who has died while serving honorably in active military service in the United States 
3.16 	armed forces.
3.17 	(c) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle for personal use, not used for commercial 
3.18 	purposes, and may include a passenger automobile; a motorcycle; a recreational vehicle; 
3.19 	or a truck resembling a pickup truck and having a manufacturer's nominal rated capacity 
3.20 	of one ton.
3.21 		Subd. 3. Plate fee; exemption.  A plate fee may not be charged to an eligible person 
3.22 	defined in subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clause (1).  For all other eligible persons, the 
3.23 	commissioner shall charge a fee of $10 per set of plates issued under this section.  No 
3.24 	surcharge may be added to this fee.
3.25 		Subd. 4. Annual registration fee; exemption.  For each eligible person defined in 
3.26 	subdivision 2, paragraph (b), clause (1), to whom the commissioner has issued special 
3.27 	plates under this section, the commissioner may exempt one vehicle from the annual 
3.28 	registration tax required under section 168.013.
3.29 		Subd. 5. Design.  The special license plates issued under this section must be of a 
3.30 	design and size determined by the commissioner, in consultation with the commissioner 
3.31 	of veterans affairs.  The commissioner may design the plates in accordance with section 
3.32 	168.1291, subdivision 2. 
3.33 		Subd. 6. Application.  Application for issuance of these plates may be made at 
3.34 	any time. 
4.1 		Subd. 7. Transfer.  On payment of a fee of $5 and notification to the commissioner, 
4.2 	special plates issued under this section may be transferred to another personal motor 
4.3 	vehicle owned or jointly owned by the eligible person.  

4.4 	EFFECTIVE DATE. This section is effective July 1, 2006.