Rep. Norm Thurston — Voting Record

Bill

Number

S.B. 35 (2016GS)

Sponsor

Sen. Knudson, P.

Final action

Governor Signed 3/18/2016

Outcome

Became law — signed by Gov. Gary R. Herbert

Summary

What it does

• This bill:
• allows for a combat veteran who is not disabled to display a license plate indicating the campaign or theater the veteran served in.

Every vote on this bill

Bill text

VETERAN LICENSE PLATES AMENDMENTS
GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Peter C. Knudson
House Sponsor: 
Paul Ray
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill provides for a special group license plate for a veteran of a campaign or
combat theater.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
▸ allows for a combat veteran who is not disabled to display a license plate indicating
the campaign or theater the veteran served in.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
41-1a-418
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2014, Chapter 37
41-1a-421
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 214
71-8-2
, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2013, Chapter 214
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section 
41-1a-418
 is amended to read:
41-1a-418.
Authorized special group license plates.
(1) The division shall only issue special group license plates in accordance with this
section through Section 
41-1a-422
 to a person who is specified under this section within the
categories listed as follows:
(a) disability special group license plates issued in accordance with Section 
41-1a-420
;
(b) honor special group license plates, as in a war hero, which plates are issued for a:
(i) survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor;
(ii) former prisoner of war;
(iii) recipient of a Purple Heart;
(iv) disabled veteran; [
or
]
(v) recipient of a gold star award issued by the United States Secretary of Defense; 
or
(vi) recipient of a campaign or combat theater award determined by the Department of
Veterans' and Military Affairs;
(c) unique vehicle type special group license plates, as for historical, collectors value,
or other unique vehicle type, which plates are issued for:
(i) a special interest vehicle;
(ii) a vintage vehicle;
(iii) a farm truck; or
(iv) (A) until Subsection (1)(c)(iv)(B) or (4) applies, a vehicle powered by clean fuel as
defined in Section 
59-13-102
; or
(B) beginning on the effective date of rules made by the Department of Transportation
authorized under Subsection 
41-6a-702
(5)(b) and until Subsection (4) applies, a vehicle
powered by clean fuel that meets the standards established by the Department of Transportation
in rules authorized under Subsection 
41-6a-702
(5)(b);
(d) recognition special group license plates, which plates are issued for:
(i) a current member of the Legislature;
(ii) a current member of the United States Congress;
(iii) a current member of the National Guard;
(iv) a licensed amateur radio operator;
(v) a currently employed, volunteer, or retired firefighter until June 30, 2009;
(vi) an emergency medical technician;
(vii) a current member of a search and rescue team;
(viii) a current honorary consulate designated by the United States Department of
State; or
(ix) an individual that wants to recognize and honor American freedoms and values
through an In God We Trust license plate;
(e) support special group license plates, as for a contributor to an institution or cause,
which plates are issued for a contributor to:
(i) an institution's scholastic scholarship fund;
(ii) the Division of Wildlife Resources;
(iii) the Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs;
(iv) the Division of Parks and Recreation;
(v) the Department of Agriculture and Food;
(vi) the Guardian Ad Litem Services Account and the Children's Museum of Utah;
(vii) the Boy Scouts of America;
(viii) spay and neuter programs through No More Homeless Pets in Utah;
(ix) the Boys and Girls Clubs of America;
(x) Utah public education;
(xi) programs that provide support to organizations that create affordable housing for
those in severe need through the Division of Real Estate;
(xii) the Department of Public Safety;
(xiii) programs that support Zion National Park;
(xiv) beginning on July 1, 2009, programs that provide support to firefighter
organizations;
(xv) programs that promote bicycle operation and safety awareness;
(xvi) programs that conduct or support cancer research;
(xvii) programs that create or support autism awareness;
(xviii) programs that create or support humanitarian service and educational and
cultural exchanges;
(xix) programs that conduct or support prostate cancer awareness, screening, detection,
or prevention;
(xx) programs that support and promote adoptions;
(xxi) programs that create or support civil rights education and awareness; or
(xxii) programs that support issues affecting women and children through an
organization affiliated with a national professional men's basketball organization.
(2) (a) The division may not issue a new type of special group license plate 
or decal
unless the division receives:
(i) (A) a private donation for the start-up fee established under Section 
63J-1-504
 for
the production and administrative costs of providing the new special group license plates 
or
decals
; or
(B) a legislative appropriation for the start-up fee provided under Subsection
(2)(a)(i)(A); and
(ii) beginning on January 1, 2012, and for the issuance of a support special group
license plate authorized in Section 
41-1a-422
, at least 500 completed applications for the new
type of support special group license plate 
or decal
 to be issued with all fees required under this
part for the support special group license plate 
and decal
 issuance paid by each applicant.
(b) (i) Beginning on January 1, 2012, each participating organization shall collect and
hold applications for support special group license plates 
or decals
 authorized in Section
41-1a-422
 on or after January 1, 2012, until it has received at least 500 applications.
(ii) Once a participating organization has received at least 500 applications, it shall
submit the applications, along with the necessary fees, to the division for the division to begin
working on the design and issuance of the new type of support special group license plate 
or
decal
 to be issued.
(iii) Beginning on January 1, 2012, the division may not work on the issuance or design
of a new support special group license plate 
or decal
 authorized in Section 
41-1a-422
 until the
applications and fees required under this Subsection (2) have been received by the division.
(iv) The division shall begin issuance of a new support special group license plate 
or
decal
 authorized in Section 
41-1a-422
 on or after January 1, 2012, no later than six months
after receiving the applications and fees required under this Subsection (2).
(c) (i) Beginning on July 1, 2009, the division may not renew a motor vehicle
registration of a motor vehicle that has been issued a firefighter recognition special group
license plate unless the applicant is a contributor as defined in Subsection
41-1a-422
(1)(a)(ii)(D) to the Firefighter Support Restricted Account.
(ii) A registered owner of a vehicle that has been issued a firefighter recognition
special group license plate prior to July 1, 2009, upon renewal of the owner's motor vehicle
registration shall:
(A) be a contributor to the Firefighter Support Restricted Account as required under
Subsection (2)(c)(i); or
(B) replace the firefighter recognition special group license plate with a new license
plate.
(3) (a) Beginning on July 1, 2011, if a support special group license plate 
or decal
 type
authorized in Section 
41-1a-422
 and issued on or after January 1, 2012, has fewer than 500
license plates issued each year for a three consecutive year time period that begins on July 1,
the division may not issue that type of support special group license plate 
or decal
 to a new
applicant beginning on January 1 of the following calendar year after the three consecutive year
time period for which that type of support special group license plate 
or decal
 has fewer than
500 license plates issued each year.
(b) If the division is required to stop the issuance of a type of support special group
license plate 
or decal
 authorized in Section 
41-1a-422
 under this Subsection (3), the division
shall report to the Transportation Interim Committee that the division will stop the issuance on
or before the November interim meeting of the year in which the commission determines to
stop the issuance of that type of support special group license plate 
or decal
.
(4) Beginning on July 1, 2011, the division may not issue to an applicant a unique
vehicle type license plate for a vehicle powered by clean fuel under Subsection (1)(c)(iv).
Section 2. Section 
41-1a-421
 is amended to read:
41-1a-421.
Honor special group license plates -- Personal identity requirements.
(1) (a) The requirements of this Subsection (1) apply to a vehicle displaying a:
(i) survivor of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor license plate;
(ii) former prisoner of war license plate;
(iii) Purple Heart license plate; [
or
]
(iv) disabled veteran license plate[
.
]
; or
(v) campaign or combat theater award license plate.
(b) The vehicle shall be titled in the name of the veteran or the veteran and spouse.
(c) Upon the death of the veteran, the surviving spouse may, upon application to the
division, retain the special group license plate decal so long as the surviving spouse remains
unmarried.
(d) The division shall require the surviving spouse to make a sworn statement that the
surviving spouse is unmarried before renewing the registration under this section.
(2) Proper evidence of a Purple Heart is either:
(a) a membership card in the Military Order of the Purple Heart; or
(b) an original or certificate in lieu of the applicant's military discharge form, DD-214,
issued by the National Personnel Records Center.
(3) The Purple Heart license plates shall bear:
(a) the words "Purple Heart" at the bottom of the plate;
(b) a logo substantially depicting a Purple Heart award; and
(c) the letter and number combinations assigned by the division.
(4) Proper evidence that a person is a disabled veteran is a written document issued by
a military entity certifying that the person is disabled as a result of service in a branch of the
United States Military.
(5) A disabled veteran seeking a disabled veteran license plate shall request the
Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs to provide the verification required under
Subsection (4).
(6) (a) An applicant for a gold star license plate shall submit written documentation
that the applicant is a recipient of a gold star award issued by the United States Secretary of
Defense.
(b) Written documentation under Subsection (6)(a) may include any of the following:
(i) a death certificate;
(ii) documentation showing classification of death as listed by the United States
Secretary of Defense;
(iii) a casualty report;
(iv) a telegram from the United States Secretary of Defense or one of the branches of
the United States armed forces; or
(v) other documentation that verifies the applicant meets the requirements of
Subsection (6)(a).
(7) An applicant for a campaign or combat theater award special group license plate
shall:
(a) be a contributor in accordance with Subsections 
41-1a-422
(1)(a)(i)(B) and
(1)(a)(ii)(A); and
(b) submit a form to the division obtained from the Department of Veterans' and
Military Affairs which verifies that the applicant qualifies for the campaign or combat theater
award special group license plate requested.
(8) Each campaign or combat theater award special group license plate authorized by
the Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs shall be considered a new special group
license plate and require the payment of the fees associated with newly authorized special
group license plates.
Section 3. Section 
71-8-2
 is amended to read:
71-8-2.
Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs created -- Appointment of
executive director -- Department responsibilities.
(1) There is created the Department of Veterans' and Military Affairs.
(2) The governor shall appoint an executive director for the department, after
consultation with the Veterans' Advisory Council, who is subject to Senate confirmation.
(a) The executive director shall be a veteran.
(b) Any veteran or veteran's group may submit names to the council for consideration.
(3) The department shall:
(a) conduct and supervise all veteran activities as provided in this title; [
and
]
(b) determine which campaign or combat theater awards are eligible for a special group
license plate in accordance with Section 
41-1a-418
;
(c) verify that an applicant for a campaign or combat theater award special group
license plate is qualified to receive it;
(d) provide an applicant that qualifies a form indicating the campaign or combat theater
award special group license plate for which the applicant qualifies; and
[
(b)
] 
(e)
 adopt rules in accordance with Title 63G, Chapter 3, Utah Administrative
Rulemaking Act, to carry out the provisions of this title.