Purpose

The bill creates a new veterans license plate program designed to honor diverse groups of veterans, including Jewish war veterans, by issuing special plates with specific inscriptions and emblems. It amends Minnesota law to set design and eligibility rules for these plates and to designate who can qualify for them.

Main Provisions

• Emblem and design authority
  • The commissioner of veterans affairs will design the emblem for the veterans special plates, subject to approval by the commissioner.
• Inscription requirements by veteran category
  • Vietnam veteran who served after July 1, 1961 and before July 1, 1978: plates must say “VIETNAM VET.”
  • Pearl Harbor survivor (service on Oahu or offshore during the Pearl Harbor attack): plates must say “PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR.”
  • World War II veteran: plates must say “WORLD WAR VET.”
  • Korean War veteran: plates must say “KOREAN VET.”
  • Combat wounded veteran (Purple Heart recipient): plates must say “COMBAT WOUNDED VET” and include a facsimile or emblem of the Purple Heart.
  • Persian Gulf War veteran: plates must say “GULF WAR VET” and define who is a Persian Gulf War veteran (active duty after Aug 1, 1990 in designated operations).
  • Laos War veteran: plates must say “LAOS WAR VET.”
  • Iraq Campaign Medal recipient: plates must say “IRAQ WAR VET” and include a facsimile of that medal.
  • Afghanistan Campaign Medal recipient: plates must say “AFGHAN WAR VET” and include a facsimile of that medal.
  • Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal recipient: plates must say “GWOT VETERAN” and include a facsimile of that medal; placement is below the plate number.
  • Global War on Terrorism Service Medal recipient: plates must say “GWOT VETERAN” (below plate number) with a facsimile of that medal.
  • Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal recipient: plates must include an appropriate inscription with a facsimile of the medal.
  • National Guard or other reserves member eligible under certain federal service rules who also holds the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal can qualify for the plate even if they don’t meet other veteran status definitions.
  • Korean Defense Service Medal recipient: plates must say “KOREAN DEFENSE SERVICE” directly below the plate number and include a facsimile of the medal.
  • Bronze Star recipient: plates must say “BRONZE STAR VET” and include a facsimile or emblem of the Bronze Star.
  • Silver Star recipient: plates must say “SILVER STAR VET” and include a facsimile or emblem of the Silver Star.
  • Woman veteran: plates must say “WOMAN VETERAN” and include an emblem designated by the commissioners.
  • Jewish war veteran: plates must say “JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA” and include a facsimile or emblem designated by the commissioners.
• Medals and insignia
  • For applicable categories, plates may display facsimiles or emblems of medals (e.g., Purple Heart, Bronze Star, Silver Star).
• Eligibility and proof of eligibility
  • The bill requires proof of eligibility for certain plate categories (e.g., Purple Heart) and directs the commissioner of public safety to disseminate information about the required proof to public officials responsible for administering the program, especially for applicants lacking discharge papers.
• Administration and rule references
  • The changes are made to Minnesota Statutes 2024 section 168.123, subdivision 2, to implement the plate design, inscriptions, and eligibility framework.

Significant Changes to Existing Law

• Adds a comprehensive veterans special license plate program to Minnesota Statutes 2024, section 168.123, subdivision 2.
• Expands recognized veteran categories and establishes specific inscriptions and medal emblems for each category.
• Introduces a process for proof-of-eligibility information dissemination to relevant public officials.
• Allows certain National Guard and reserve members with the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal to qualify for the plate even if they do not meet the standard veteran definition in other statutes.

How the Bill Aims to Accomplish Its Goals

• Provide a formal, commemorative license plate option that honors a wide range of veterans and military service experiences through clear inscriptions and medal imagery.
• Standardize the design process and eligibility verification to ensure consistent recognition across the state.
• Increase public awareness of veterans’ service by making these identifications visible on vehicles.

Relevant Terms

• veterans special plates
• emblem design
• inscription
• VIETNAM VET
• PEARL HARBOR SURVIVOR
• WORLD WAR VET
• KOREAN VET
• COMBAT WOUNDED VET
• Purple Heart
• GULF WAR VET
• LAOS WAR VET
• IRAQ WAR VET
• AFGHAN WAR VET
• GWOT VETERAN
• Desert Shield/Desert Storm
• GWOT (Global War on Terrorism) Service Medal
• GWOT Expeditionary Medal
• Bronze Star Medal
• Silver Star Medal
• WOMAN VETERAN
• JEWISH WAR VETERANS OF AMERICA
• facsimile or emblem
• proof of eligibility
• National Guard / reserves
• section 168.123
• Minnesota Statutes 2024

Relevant Terms veterans license plate; emblem; inscription; Purple Heart; GWOT; medals; facsimile; proof of eligibility; National Guard; reserves; Minnesota Statutes 2024; public safety; Veterans Affairs Commissioner; Platinum/Emblem nomenclature (as listed above)