SF 2340

2nd Engrossment - 86th Legislature (2009 - 2010) Posted on 03/01/2010 03:02pm

A bill for an act
relating to veterans; authorizing issuance of the combat wounded vehicle
license plate to a recipient of the purple heart medal who is continuing to serve
in the military; expanding eligibility for Gold Star license plates; amending
Minnesota Statutes 2008, section 168.123, subdivision 2; Minnesota Statutes
2009 Supplement, section 168.1253, subdivision 1.

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

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2008, 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" and the letters "V" and "V" with the first letter directly above the
second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special plate number.

(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" and the letters "P" and "H" with the first letter directly
above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special
plate number.

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

(1) for a World War I veteran, the characters "W" and "I" with the first character
directly above the second character and both characters just preceding the first numeral
of the special plate number; or

(2) for a World War II veteran, the characters "W" and "II" with the first character
directly above the second character and both characters just preceding the first numeral of
the special plate number.

(d) For a veteran who served during the Korean Conflict, the special plates must
bear the inscription "KOREAN VET" and the letters "K" and "V" with the first letter
directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the
special plate number.

(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 on an
emblem of the official purple heart medal and the letters "C" over "W" with the first letter
directly over the second letter just preceding the first numeral of the special plate number.

new 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.
new text end

(f) For a Persian Gulf War veteran, the plates must bear the inscription "GULF
WAR VET" and the letters "G" and "W" with the first letter directly above the second
letter and both letters just preceding the first numeral of the special plate number. 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" and the letters "L"
and "V" with the first letter directly above the second letter and both letters just preceding
the first numeral of the special plate number.

(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; or

(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.

(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.

new text begin EFFECTIVE DATE. new text end

new text begin This section is effective August 1, 2010.
new text end

Sec. 2.

Minnesota Statutes 2009 Supplement, section 168.1253, subdivision 1, is
amended to read:

Subdivision 1.

Definitions.

(a) The terms used in this section have the meanings
given them in this subdivision.

(b) "Active service" has the meaning given in section 190.05, subdivision 5.

(c) "Eligible person" means a surviving spouse new text begin , son, daughter, new text end or parent of a person
who has died while serving honorably in active service.

(d) "Motor vehicle" means a vehicle for personal use, not used for commercial
purposes, and may include a passenger automobile, motorcycle, recreational vehicle,
pickup truck, or van.