HF 3880

as introduced - 89th Legislature (2015 - 2016) Posted on 04/11/2016 04:39pm

A bill for an act
relating to transportation; establishing special veterans' plate designs for certain
expeditionary medals; amending Minnesota Statutes 2014, section 168.123,
subdivision 2.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2014, 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."

(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.

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.

(f) 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.

(g) 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."

(h) 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; deleted text begin or
deleted text end

(4) new text begin the Marine Corps Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be inscribed
with a facsimile of that medal and must bear an appropriate inscription directly below
the special plate number;
new text end

new text begin (5) the Navy Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must be inscribed with
a facsimile of that medal and must bear an appropriate inscription directly below the
special plate number; or
new text end

new text begin (6) new text end the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, the special plates must bear an
appropriate inscription that includes a facsimile of that medal.

(i) 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.

(j) 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.

(k) 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.

(l) 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.

(m) 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.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective January 1, 2017.
new text end