By Gallego H.B. No. 2103
74R251 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 surviving spouses of certain military veterans.
1-4 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-5 SECTION 1. Sections 5k(a), (b), and (d), Chapter 88, General
1-6 Laws, Acts of the 41st Legislature, 2nd Called Session, 1929
1-7 (Article 6675a-5k, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), are amended to
1-8 read as follows:
1-9 (a) The department shall design and provide for the issuance
1-10 of special license plates depicting the state capitol for passenger
1-11 cars and light commercial motor vehicles having a manufacturer's
1-12 rated carrying capacity of one ton or less and shall design and
1-13 provide for the issuance of special license plates for those
1-14 vehicles that are owned by persons who are:
1-15 (1) active or retired members of a branch of the armed
1-16 forces of the United States;
1-17 (2) the surviving spouses of individuals killed in
1-18 action while serving in the armed forces of the United States, as
1-19 long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried;
1-20 (3) survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor on
1-21 December 7, 1941, or their surviving spouses who have not
1-22 remarried;
1-23 (4) recipients of the Purple Heart medal or
1-24 recipients' surviving spouses who have not remarried;
2-1 (5) members of the United States Air Force Auxiliary,
2-2 Civil Air Patrol, members of the United States Coast Guard
2-3 Auxiliary, or members of the Marine Corps League or its auxiliary;
2-4 (6) persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
2-5 of the United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1,
2-6 1947;
2-7 (7) persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
2-8 of the United States after June 26, 1950, and before February 1,
2-9 1955;
2-10 (8) persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
2-11 of the United States after August 4, 1964, and before May 8, 1975,
2-12 or their surviving spouses; or
2-13 (9) persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
2-14 of the United States, were deployed to the Middle East, and there
2-15 participated in Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm.
2-16 (b) License plates issued to a member of a branch of the
2-17 armed forces, or to the individual's surviving spouse as provided
2-18 by Subsection (a)(2) of this section, shall bear the designation of
2-19 the appropriate branch of the armed forces. License plates issued
2-20 to Pearl Harbor survivors or their surviving spouses who have not
2-21 remarried shall bear the words "Pearl Harbor Survivor" and shall be
2-22 numbered consecutively. License plates issued to recipients, or
2-23 surviving spouses of recipients, of the Purple Heart medal shall
2-24 bear the Purple Heart emblem, shall bear the words "Purple Heart"
2-25 at the bottom of each plate, and if numbered plates are issued,
2-26 shall bear the letters "PH" as the prefix or suffix to the assigned
2-27 number. License plates issued to members of the civil air patrol
3-1 shall bear the words "Texas Wing Civil Air Patrol." License plates
3-2 issued to members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary shall bear the words
3-3 "Coast Guard Auxiliary." License plates issued to members of the
3-4 Marine Corps League or its auxiliary shall bear the words "Marine
3-5 Corps League" and the emblem of the Marine Corps League. License
3-6 plates issued to persons who served in a branch of the armed forces
3-7 of the United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1,
3-8 1947, shall bear the words "WWII Veteran." License plates issued
3-9 to persons who served in a branch of the armed forces of the United
3-10 States after June 26, 1950, and before February 1, 1955, shall bear
3-11 the words "Korea Veteran." License plates issued to persons who
3-12 served in a branch of the armed forces of the United States after
3-13 August 4, 1964, and before May 8, 1975, or their surviving spouses,
3-14 shall bear the words "Vietnam Veteran." License plates issued to
3-15 persons who served in a branch of the armed forces of the United
3-16 States, were deployed to the Middle East, and there participated in
3-17 Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm shall bear the words
3-18 "Desert Storm."
3-19 (d) A person who applies for:
3-20 (1) armed forces, Coast Guard Auxiliary, Civil Air
3-21 Patrol, or Marine Corps League license plates must submit proof
3-22 that the person is eligible to receive the plates;
3-23 (2) Pearl Harbor license plates must submit proof that
3-24 the person:
3-25 (A) served in the armed forces of the United
3-26 States;
3-27 (B) was stationed in the Hawaiian Islands on
4-1 December 7, 1941; and
4-2 (C) survived the attack on Pearl Harbor on
4-3 December 7, 1941; or
4-4 (D) is the surviving spouse of an individual who
4-5 meets the requirements of Paragraphs (A), (B), and (C) of this
4-6 subdivision;
4-7 (3) Purple Heart license plates must submit proof that
4-8 the person:
4-9 (A) has been awarded the Purple Heart medal and
4-10 is:
4-11 (i) an honorably discharged veteran of the
4-12 armed forces of the United States; or
4-13 (ii) a member of the armed forces of the
4-14 United States on active duty; or
4-15 (B)(i) is the surviving spouse of a recipient of
4-16 the Purple Heart medal who was an honorably discharged veteran of
4-17 the armed forces of the United States or a member of the armed
4-18 forces of the United States on active duty on the date of death;
4-19 and
4-20 (ii) has not remarried;
4-21 (4) World War II veteran license plates must submit
4-22 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
4-23 United States after December 6, 1941, and before January 1, 1947,
4-24 and is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
4-25 United States;
4-26 (5) Korean conflict veteran license plates must submit
4-27 proof that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
5-1 United States after June 26, 1950, and before February 1, 1955, and
5-2 is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the
5-3 United States;
5-4 (6) Vietnam veteran license plates must submit proof
5-5 that the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the
5-6 United States after August 4, 1964, and before May 8, 1975, and:
5-7 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
5-8 armed forces of the United States; <or>
5-9 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
5-10 United States on active duty; or
5-11 (C) is the surviving spouse of an individual who
5-12 meets the requirements of Paragraph (A) or (B) of this subdivision;
5-13 and
5-14 (7) Desert Storm license plates must submit proof that
5-15 the person served in a branch of the armed forces of the United
5-16 States, was deployed to the Middle East, and there participated in
5-17 Operation Desert Shield or Desert Storm and:
5-18 (A) is an honorably discharged veteran of the
5-19 armed forces or reserve component of the armed forces of the United
5-20 States; or
5-21 (B) is a member of the armed forces of the
5-22 United States, a member of the Texas Army National Guard, a member
5-23 of the Texas Air National Guard, or a member of a reserve component
5-24 of the United States armed forces.
5-25 SECTION 2. The importance of this legislation and the
5-26 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
5-27 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
6-1 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
6-2 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended,
6-3 and that this Act take effect and be in force from and after its
6-4 passage, and it is so enacted.