By: Holzheauser H.B. No. 347
73R1457 JD-D
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to the issuance of specially designed license plates for
1-3 certain veterans of military service.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Section 5k, Chapter 88, General Laws, Acts of the
1-6 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article 6675a-5k,
1-7 Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), as amended by Chapters 654 and 659,
1-8 Acts of the 72nd Legislature, Regular Session, 1991, is amended by
1-9 amending Subsections (a), (b), (d), and (l) to read as follows:
1-10 (a) The department shall design and provide for the issuance
1-11 of special license plates depicting the state capitol for passenger
1-12 cars and light commercial motor vehicles having a manufacturer's
1-13 rated carrying capacity of one ton or less and shall design and
1-14 provide for the issuance of special license plates for those
1-15 vehicles that are owned by persons who are:
1-16 (1) active or retired members of a branch of the armed
1-17 forces of the United States;
1-18 (2) the surviving spouses of individuals killed in
1-19 action while serving in the armed forces of the United States, as
1-20 long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried;
1-21 (3) survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor on
1-22 December 7, 1941, or their surviving spouses who have not
1-23 remarried;
1-24 (4) recipients of the Purple Heart medal or
2-1 recipients' surviving spouses who have not remarried;
2-2 (5) members of the United States Air Force Auxiliary,
2-3 Civil Air Patrol, members of the United States Coast Guard
2-4 Auxiliary;
2-5 (6) persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
2-6 of the United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1,
2-7 1947;
2-8 (7) <(6)> persons who served in a branch of the armed
2-9 forces of the United States after August 4, 1964, and before May 8,
2-10 1975; or
2-11 (8) <(7)> persons who served in a branch of the armed
2-12 forces of the United States, were deployed to the Middle East, and
2-13 there participated in Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm.
2-14 (b) License plates issued to a member of a branch of the
2-15 armed forces, or to the individual's surviving spouse as provided
2-16 by Subsection (a)(2) of this section, shall bear the designation of
2-17 the appropriate branch of the armed forces. License plates issued
2-18 to Pearl Harbor survivors or their surviving spouses who have not
2-19 remarried shall bear the words "Pearl Harbor Survivor" and shall be
2-20 numbered consecutively. License plates issued to recipients, or
2-21 surviving spouses of recipients, of the Purple Heart medal shall
2-22 bear the Purple Heart emblem, shall bear the words "Purple Heart"
2-23 at the bottom of each plate, and if numbered plates are issued,
2-24 shall bear the letters "PH" as the prefix or suffix to the assigned
2-25 number. License plates issued to members of the civil air patrol
2-26 shall bear the words "Texas Wing Civil Air Patrol." License plates
2-27 issued to members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary shall bear the words
3-1 "Coast Guard Auxiliary." License plates issued to persons who
3-2 served in a branch of the armed forces of the United States after
3-3 December 6, 1941, and before January 1, 1947, shall bear the words
3-4 "WWII Veteran." License plates issued to persons who served in a
3-5 branch of the armed forces of the United States after August 4,
3-6 1964, and before May 8, 1975, shall bear the words "Vietnam
3-7 Veteran." License plates issued to persons who served in a branch
3-8 of the armed forces of the United States, were deployed to the
3-9 Middle East, and there participated in Operation Desert Shield or
3-10 Desert Storm shall bear the words "Desert Storm."
3-11 (d) A person who applies for:
3-12 (1) armed forces license plates, Coast Guard
3-13 Auxiliary, or Civil Air Patrol license plates must submit proof
3-14 that the person is eligible to receive the plates;
3-15 (2) Pearl Harbor license plates must submit proof that
3-16 the person:
3-17 (A) served in the armed forces of the United
3-18 States;
3-19 (B) was stationed in the Hawaiian Islands on
3-20 December 7, 1941; and
3-21 (C) survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on
3-22 December 7, 1941; or
3-23 (D) is the surviving spouse of an individual who
3-24 meets the requirements of Paragraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this
3-25 subdivision;
3-26 (3) Purple Heart license plates must submit proof that
3-27 the person:
4-1 (A) has been awarded the Purple Heart medal and
4-2 is:
4-3 (i) an honorably discharged veteran of the
4-4 armed forces of the United States; or
4-5 (ii) a member of the armed forces of the
4-6 United States on active duty; or
4-7 (B)(i) is the surviving spouse of a recipient of
4-8 the Purple Heart medal who was an honorably discharged veteran of
4-9 the armed forces of the United States or a member of the armed
4-10 forces of the United States on active duty on the date of death;
4-11 and
4-12 (ii) has not remarried;
4-13 (4) World War II veteran license plates must submit
4-14 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
4-15 United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1, 1947,
4-16 and is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
4-17 United States;
4-18 (5) <(4)> Vietnam veteran license plates must submit
4-19 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
4-20 United States after August 4, 1964, and before May 8, 1975, and:
4-21 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
4-22 armed forces of the United States; or
4-23 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
4-24 United States on active duty; and
4-25 (6) <(5)> Desert Storm license plates must submit
4-26 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
4-27 United States, was deployed to the Middle East, and there
5-1 participated in Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm and:
5-2 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
5-3 armed forces or reserve component of the armed forces of the United
5-4 States; or
5-5 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
5-6 United States, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, a member
5-7 of the Texas Air National Guard, or a member of a reserve component
5-8 of the United States armed forces.
5-9 (l) A person may only be issued one set of armed forces
5-10 license plates, one set of civil air patrol license plates, one set
5-11 of Pearl Harbor license plates, one set of Coast Guard Auxiliary
5-12 license plates, one set of World War II veteran license plates, one
5-13 set of Vietnam veteran license plates, one set of Desert Storm
5-14 license plates, and one set of Purple Heart license plates. If the
5-15 owner of a vehicle for which plates, other than license plates
5-16 depicting the capitol, are issued under this section disposes of
5-17 the vehicle during a registration year, the person shall return the
5-18 special plates to the department, and at that time may apply for
5-19 issuance of those plates to another vehicle.
5-20 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
5-21 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-22 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
5-23 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
5-24 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
5-25 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
5-26 passage, and it is so enacted.