HCS SB 204(STA): "An Act relating to a veteran's designation on an identification card or a driver's license for Hmong veterans and Lao veterans; relating to registration plates celebrating the arts; and relating to special registration plates for vehicles owned by veterans with disabilities."
00 HOUSE CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 204(STA) 01 "An Act relating to a veteran's designation on an identification card or a driver's license 02 for Hmong veterans and Lao veterans; relating to registration plates celebrating the 03 arts; and relating to special registration plates for vehicles owned by veterans with 04 disabilities." 05 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 06 * Section 1. AS 18.65.310(l) is amended to read: 07 (l) At the request of the person, the department shall provide a veteran 08 designation and United States flag replica on an identification card identifying the 09 person as a retired veteran, [OR] a veteran of the armed forces of the United States 10 discharged under honorable conditions, or a Hmong veteran or Lao veteran who 11 served in military operations in support of the United States in the Kingdom of 12 Laos between February 28, 1961, and May 15, 1975. The department may not 13 charge a fee solely for the designation. To receive a veteran designation, the person 14 shall provide proof of veteran status that shows the person is retired, was [OR]
01 discharged under honorable conditions, or is a Hmong veteran or Lao veteran. The 02 department shall consult with the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs 03 to determine the proof necessary to show that a person is a Hmong veteran or 04 Lao veteran. With the approval of the person, the department shall make available to 05 the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs the name and address of a person 06 receiving a veteran designation under this subsection. Notwithstanding (a) of this 07 section, the department may charge a fee of $5 for replacement of a valid 08 identification card with a new identification card with a veteran designation. 09 * Sec. 2. AS 28.10.161(b) is amended to read: 10 (b) Every passenger vehicle registration plate, except as specifically provided 11 in AS 28.10.181, shall have displayed on [UPON] it 12 (1) one of the following designs: [EITHER] 13 (A) the Alaska flag design, consisting of the Alaska flag, the 14 traditional colors of yellow-gold and blue, and the slogan "The Last Frontier"; 15 [OR] 16 (B) the bear design, consisting of a standing grizzly bear in the 17 center of the plate; the bear design shall be modeled after the 1976 bicentennial 18 plate without the bicentennial symbol; or 19 (C) the design celebrating the arts chosen by the 20 commissioner through consultation with the Alaska State Council on the 21 Arts; the commissioner shall choose a new design for the plates 22 celebrating the arts every four years and discontinue issuance of the 23 previous design; 24 (2) the registration number assigned to the vehicle for which it is 25 issued; 26 (3) the name of this state, which may be abbreviated; and 27 (4) the registration year number or expiration date for which time it is 28 validated; the registration year number or expiration date may be part of the license 29 plate or contained on a suitable sticker or tab device issued by the department; 30 however, only one sticker or tab device may be issued for each pair of plates, and the 31 sticker or tab device must be affixed to the rear plate.
01 * Sec. 3. AS 28.10.181(d) is amended to read: 02 (d) Vehicles owned by veterans with disabilities, including persons disabled in 03 the line of duty while serving in the Alaska Territorial Guard, or other persons with 04 disabilities. Upon the request of a person with a disability that limits or impairs the 05 ability to walk, as defined in 23 C.F.R. 1235.2, the department shall (1) register one 06 motor vehicle in the name of the person without charge; and (2) issue a specially 07 designed registration plate that displays (A) recognition of the disabled veteran if the 08 applicant's disability originated from the applicant's service with the Alaska Territorial 09 Guard or the armed forces of the United States; (B) the international symbol of 10 accessibility (the wheelchair logo); and (C) if the applicant is a veteran, the Alaska and 11 United States flags and red, white, and blue colors. A person who is not otherwise 12 qualified under this subsection, but who meets the qualifications of a disabled veteran 13 under AS 29.45.030(i), may register one motor vehicle without charge, and the 14 department shall issue a specially designed registration plate that displays recognition 15 of the disabled veteran that does not display the international symbol of accessibility 16 and does not carry with it special parking privileges. A disabled veteran who 17 otherwise qualifies for a registration plate under this subsection may elect to receive a 18 plate under (p) or (q) of this section for which the person is otherwise qualified that 19 does not display the international symbol of accessibility and does not carry with it 20 special parking privileges. A disabled person who otherwise qualifies for a registration 21 plate under (2)(B) of this subsection may elect to receive a plate under another 22 provision of this section for which the person is otherwise qualified that does not 23 display the international symbol of accessibility and does not carry with it special 24 parking privileges. For purposes of this subsection, proof of disability may be 25 provided by a person licensed as a chiropractor under AS 08.20, as a physician or 26 physician assistant under AS 08.64, or as an advanced practice registered nurse under 27 AS 08.68. 28 * Sec. 4. AS 28.15.111(c) is amended to read: 29 (c) At the request of an applicant, the department shall provide a veteran 30 designation and United States flag replica on a license identifying the driver as a 31 retired veteran, [OR] a veteran of the armed forces of the United States discharged
01 under honorable conditions, or a Hmong veteran or Lao veteran who served in 02 military operations in support of the United States in the Kingdom of Laos 03 between February 28, 1961, and May 15, 1975. The department may not charge a 04 fee solely for the designation. To receive a veteran designation, the driver shall make 05 available proof of veteran status that shows that the person is retired, was [OR] 06 discharged under honorable conditions, or is a Hmong veteran or Lao veteran. The 07 department shall consult with the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs 08 to determine the proof necessary to show that a person is a Hmong veteran or 09 Lao veteran. With the approval of the applicant, the department shall make available 10 to the Department of Military and Veterans' Affairs the name and address of a driver 11 receiving a veteran designation under this subsection. The department may charge a 12 fee of $5 for replacement of a valid driver's license with a new license with a veteran 13 designation. A replacement license with a veteran designation issued for $5 under this 14 subsection shall retain the expiration date of the license it replaces. 15 * Sec. 5. AS 44.27.080(a) is amended to read: 16 (a) The council shall hold a competition every four years to select a design for 17 the vehicle registration [SPECIAL REQUEST] plate celebrating the arts under 18 AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C) [AS 28.10.181(u)]. The council shall select a panel of judges 19 to judge the submissions for the contest and shall include the previous design winner 20 on the panel. The panel shall select the top submissions, and the council shall conduct 21 a public vote to determine the winner of the competition. The council shall use the 22 winning design when consulting with the commissioner of administration under 23 AS 28.10.161(b)(1)(C) [AS 28.10.181(u)]. 24 * Sec. 6. AS 28.10.181(u), 28.10.421(d)(15), and AS 44.27.080(b) are repealed.