By Gutierrez H.B. No. 247
74R1205 DWS-F
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-1 AN ACT
1-2 relating to armed forces license plates.
1-3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-4 SECTION 1. Sections 5k(d) and (l), Chapter 88, General Laws,
1-5 Acts of the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929 (Article
1-6 6675a-5k, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), are amended to read as
1-7 follows:
1-8 (d) A person who applies for:
1-9 (1) armed forces, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Civil Air
1-10 Patrol, or Marine Corps League license plates must submit proof
1-11 that the person is eligible to receive the plates;
1-12 (2) Pearl Harbor license plates must submit proof that
1-13 the person:
1-14 (A) <served in the armed forces of the United
1-15 States;>
1-16 <(B)> was <stationed> in the Hawaiian Islands on
1-17 December 7, 1941,<;> and
1-18 <(C)> survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on
1-19 December 7, 1941; or
1-20 (B) <(D)> is the surviving spouse of an
1-21 individual who meets the requirements of Paragraph <Paragraphs>
1-22 (A)<, (B), and (C)> of this subdivision;
1-23 (3) Purple Heart license plates must submit proof that
1-24 the person:
2-1 (A) has been awarded the Purple Heart medal and
2-2 is:
2-3 (i) an honorably discharged veteran of the
2-4 armed forces of the United States; or
2-5 (ii) a member of the armed forces of the
2-6 United States on active duty; or
2-7 (B)(i) is the surviving spouse of a recipient of
2-8 the Purple Heart medal who was an honorably discharged veteran of
2-9 the armed forces of the United States or a member of the armed
2-10 forces of the United States on active duty on the date of death;
2-11 and
2-12 (ii) has not remarried;
2-13 (4) World War II veteran license plates must submit
2-14 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
2-15 United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1, 1947,
2-16 and is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
2-17 United States;
2-18 (5) Korean conflict veteran license plates must submit
2-19 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
2-20 United States after June 26, 1950, and before February 1, 1955, and
2-21 is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
2-22 United States;
2-23 (6) Vietnam veteran license plates must submit proof
2-24 that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
2-25 United States after August 4, 1964, and before May 8, 1975, and:
2-26 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
2-27 armed forces of the United States; or
3-1 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
3-2 United States on active duty; and
3-3 (7) Desert Storm license plates must submit proof that
3-4 the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the United
3-5 States, was deployed to the Middle East, and there participated in
3-6 Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm and:
3-7 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
3-8 armed forces or reserve component of the armed forces of the United
3-9 States; or
3-10 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
3-11 United States, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, a member
3-12 of the Texas Air National Guard, or a member of a reserve component
3-13 of the United States armed forces.
3-14 (l) A person may only be issued two sets <one set> of armed
3-15 forces license plates, two sets <one set> of civil air patrol
3-16 license plates, two sets <one set> of Pearl Harbor license plates,
3-17 two sets <one set> of Coast Guard Auxiliary license plates, two
3-18 sets <one set> of World War II veteran license plates, two sets
3-19 <one set> of Korea veteran license plates, two sets <one set> of
3-20 Vietnam veteran license plates, two sets <one set> of Desert Storm
3-21 license plates, and two sets <one set> of Purple Heart license
3-22 plates. If the owner of a vehicle for which plates, other than
3-23 license plates depicting the capitol, are issued under this section
3-24 disposes of the vehicle during a registration year, the person
3-25 shall return the special plates to the department, and at that time
3-26 may apply for issuance of those plates to another vehicle.
3-27 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
4-1 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
4-2 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
4-3 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
4-4 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
4-5 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
4-6 passage, and it is so enacted.