Minnesota Session Laws - 1991, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1991 

                         CHAPTER 274-H.F.No. 99 
           An act relating to transportation; designating trunk 
          highway No. 61 and the Lake City rest area as disabled 
          American veterans highway and rest area; authorizing 
          special license plates for certain military personnel; 
          amending Minnesota Statutes 1990, sections 161.14, by 
          adding a subdivision; 168.12, subdivision 2c, and by 
          adding a subdivision; and 168.123, subdivision 2. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 161.14, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 26.  [DISABLED AMERICAN VETERANS HIGHWAY.] That 
portion of Constitutional Route No. 3, known as trunk highway 
No. 61, from the easterly limits of the city of St. Paul to the 
boundary line between the states of Minnesota and Wisconsin is 
designated the "disabled American veterans highway."  The 
roadside rest area on trunk highway No. 61 at Lake City is 
designated the disabled American veterans rest area.  The 
commissioner of transportation shall adopt a suitable marking 
design to mark this highway and rest area and shall erect the 
appropriate signs. 
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 168.12, 
subdivision 2c, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2c.  [NATIONAL GUARD; SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.] The 
registrar shall issue special license plates to any applicant 
who is a regularly enlisted or, commissioned, or retired member 
of the Minnesota national guard, other than an inactive or 
retired member who is not a retired member, and is an owner or 
joint owner of a passenger automobile, van, or pickup truck 
included within the definition of a passenger automobile upon 
payment of a fee of $10, payment of the registration tax 
required by law, and compliance with other laws of this state 
relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and 
drivers.  The adjutant general shall design these special plates 
subject to the approval of the registrar.  No applicant shall be 
issued more than two sets of plates for vehicles owned or 
jointly owned by the applicant.  The adjutant general shall 
estimate the number of special plates that will be required and 
submit the estimate to the registrar.  
    Special plates issued under this subdivision may only be 
used during the period that the owner or joint owner of the 
vehicle is an active or retired member of the Minnesota national 
guard as specified in this subdivision.  When the person to whom 
the special plates were issued is no longer an active or retired 
member of the Minnesota national guard, the special plates must 
be removed from the vehicle and returned to the registrar.  Upon 
return of the special plates, the owner or purchaser of the 
vehicle is entitled to receive regular plates for the vehicle 
without cost for the remainder of the registration period for 
which the special plates were issued.  While the person is an 
active or retired member of the Minnesota national guard, plates 
issued pursuant to this subdivision may be transferred to 
another motor vehicle owned or jointly owned by that person upon 
payment of a fee of $5. 
    For purposes of this subdivision, "retired member" means a 
person placed on the roll of retired officers or roll of retired 
enlisted members in the office of the adjutant general under 
section 192.18 and who is not deceased. 
    All fees collected under the provisions of this subdivision 
shall be paid into the state treasury and credited to the 
highway user tax distribution fund.  
    The registrar may adopt rules under the administrative 
procedure act to govern the issuance and use of the special 
plates authorized by this subdivision.  
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 168.12, is 
amended by adding a subdivision to read: 
    Subd. 2d.  [READY RESERVE; SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE.] The 
registrar shall issue special license plates to an applicant who 
is not eligible for special license plates under subdivision 2c, 
who is a member of the United States armed forces ready reserve 
as described in United States Code, title 10, section 268, and 
is an owner or joint owner of a passenger automobile, van, or 
pickup truck, on paying a fee of $10, paying the registration 
tax required by law, and complying with other laws of this state 
relating to registration and licensing of motor vehicles and 
drivers.  The commissioner of veterans affairs shall design 
these special plates subject to the approval of the registrar.  
No applicant may be issued more than two sets of plates for 
vehicles owned or jointly owned by the applicant.  The 
commissioner of veterans affairs shall estimate the number of 
special plates that will be required and submit the estimate to 
the registrar.  
    Special plates issued under this subdivision may only be 
used during the period that the owner or joint owner of the 
vehicle is a member of the ready reserve.  When the person is no 
longer a member, the special plates must be removed from the 
vehicle and returned to the registrar.  On returning the special 
plates, the owner or purchaser of the vehicle is entitled to 
receive regular plates for the vehicle without cost for the rest 
of the registration period for which the special plates were 
issued.  While the person is a member of the ready reserve, 
plates issued under this subdivision may be transferred to 
another motor vehicle owned or jointly owned by that person on 
paying a fee of $5.  
    The fees collected under this subdivision must be paid into 
the state treasury and credited to the highway user tax 
distribution fund.  
    The registrar may adopt rules under the administrative 
procedure act to govern the issuance and use of the special 
plates authorized by this subdivision. 
    Sec. 4.  Minnesota Statutes 1990, section 168.123, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  [DESIGN.] The commissioner of veterans affairs 
shall design the special plates, subject to the approval of the 
registrar, that satisfy the following requirements:  
    (a) For a Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961, 
and before July 1, 1978, 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 license 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 license plate number. 
    (c) For a veteran who served during World War I or World 
War II, the special 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 
license 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 
license 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 license plate number.  
    (e) For a combat wounded veteran who is a recipient of the 
purple heart medal, the special plates must bear the inscription 
"COMBAT WOUNDED VET" and inscribed with a facsimile 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 license plate number. 
    (f) For a Persian Gulf war veteran, the special 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 license 
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 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. 
    Sec. 5.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 1 to 4 are effective the day following final 
enactment. 
    Presented to the governor May 29, 1991 
    Signed by the governor June 1, 1991, 3:47 p.m.