as introduced - 93rd Legislature (2023 - 2024) Posted on 03/07/2024 02:43pm
A bill for an act
relating to transportation; establishing a special license plate for veterans who
received the Army of Occupation Medal; making technical changes; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 168.123.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:
Minnesota Statutes 2022, section 168.123, is amended to read:
(a) On payment of a fee in the amount
specified for special plates under section 168.12, subdivision 5, for each set of two plates,
or for a single plate in the case of a motorcycle plate, payment of the registration tax required
by law, and compliance with other applicable laws relating to vehicle registration and
licensing, as applicable, the commissioner deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end issuedeleted text begin :
deleted text end
deleted text begin (1)deleted text end special veteran's plates to an applicant whonew text begin :
new text end
new text begin (1)new text end served in the active military service in a branch of the armed forces of the United
States or of a nation or society allied with the United States in conducting a foreign wardeleted text begin ,deleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (2)new text end was discharged under honorable conditionsdeleted text begin , anddeleted text end new text begin ;
new text end
new text begin (3)new text end is a registered owner of a passenger automobile, recreational motor vehicle, or one-ton
pickup truck, but which is not a commercial motor vehicle as defined in section 169.011,
subdivision 16; deleted text begin ordeleted text end new text begin and
new text end
new text begin
(4) meets the requirements for the specific special plate design under this section.
new text end
deleted text begin
(2) a veteran's special motorcycle plate as described in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (e),
(f), (h), (i), (j), or (m), or another special plate designed by the commissioner to an applicant
who is a registered owner of a motorcycle and meets the criteria listed in this paragraph and
in subdivision 2, paragraph (a), (e), (f), (h), (i), (j), or (m).
deleted text end
new text begin (b) The commissioner must issue special veteran's motorcycle plates to an applicant who
is a registered owner of a motorcycle and otherwise meets the requirements under paragraph
(a), except for the plate designs specified in subdivisions 2c, 2d, 2e, 2h, 2j, and 2k. Special
veteran's motorcyclenew text end plates issued under this deleted text begin clausedeleted text end new text begin sectionnew text end must be the same size as regular
motorcycle platesdeleted text begin . Special motorcycle license plates issued under this clausedeleted text end new text begin andnew text end are not
subject to section 168.1293.
deleted text begin (b)deleted text end new text begin (c)new text end The deleted text begin additionaldeleted text end feenew text begin for special platesnew text end is payable for each set of veteran's plates, is
payable only when the plates are issued, and is not payable in a year in which stickers are
issued instead of plates.
deleted text begin (c)deleted text end new text begin (d)new text end The veteran must have a certified copy of the veteran's discharge papers, indicating
character of discharge, at the time of application. If an applicant served in the active military
service in a branch of the armed forces of a nation or society allied with the United States
in conducting a foreign war and is unable to obtain a record of that service and discharge
status, the commissioner of veterans affairs may certify the applicant as qualified for the
veterans' plates provided under this section.
The commissioner of veterans affairs deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end design the emblem
for the veterans' special plates, subject to the approval of the commissionerdeleted text begin , that satisfy the
following requirements:deleted text end new text begin and as specified in this section.
new text end
deleted text begin (a)deleted text end 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."
deleted text begin (b)deleted text end 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."
deleted text begin (c)deleted text end For a veteran who served during World War II,
the plates must bear the inscription "WORLD WAR VET."
deleted text begin (d)deleted text end For a veteran who served during the Korean
Conflict, the special plates must bear the inscription "KOREAN VET."
deleted text begin (e)deleted text end new text begin (a)new text end 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.
new text begin (b) new text end 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 deleted text begin this license platedeleted text end new text begin the
special plates under this subdivisionnew text end . The commissioner of public safety deleted text begin shalldeleted text end new text begin mustnew text end 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 begin (f)deleted text end For a Persian Gulf War veteran, the plates
must bear the inscription "GULF WAR VET." For the purposes of this deleted text begin sectiondeleted text end new text begin subdivisionnew text end ,
"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 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 (a)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 (b)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 (c)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.
new text begin
(d) For a veteran who is the recipient of the Army of Occupation Medal, the special
plates must be inscribed with a facsimile of that medal and must bear the inscription "ARMY
OF OCCUPATION" directly below the special plate number.
new text end
deleted text begin (k)deleted 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 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 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.
deleted text begin (a)deleted text end Onnew text begin application to the commissioner andnew text end payment of anew text begin
transfernew text end fee of $5,new text begin specialnew text end plates issued under subdivision 1deleted text begin , paragraph (a), clause (1),deleted text end may
be transferred to another deleted text begin passenger automobile or recreationaldeleted text end motor vehicledeleted text begin , or one-ton
truck described in subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause (1),deleted text end new text begin if the subsequent vehicle is:
new text end
new text begin
(1) qualified under subdivision 1 to bear the special plates; and
new text end
new text begin (2) new text end registered to thenew text begin samenew text end individual to whom thenew text begin specialnew text end plates werenew text begin originallynew text end issued.
deleted text begin
(b) On payment of a fee of $5, a plate issued under subdivision 1, paragraph (a), clause
(2), may be transferred to another motorcycle registered to the individual to whom the plate
was issued.
deleted text end
The commissioner may adopt rules under the Administrative Procedure
Act to govern the issuance and use of the special plates authorized by this section.
new text begin
This section is effective January 1, 2025, and applies to special
veteran's plates and special veteran's motorcycle plates issued on or after that date.
new text end