1.1                          A bill for an act 
  1.2             relating to motor vehicles; authorizing special 
  1.3             license plates and exemption from registration 
  1.4             taxation for veterans formerly missing in action; 
  1.5             amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 168.031; 
  1.6             proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, 
  1.7             chapter 168. 
  1.8   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.9      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 168.031, is 
  1.10  amended to read: 
  1.11     168.031 [EXEMPTION FROM REGISTRATION; PERSONS IN ARMED 
  1.12  FORCES, DISABLED VETERANS, FORMER PRISONERS OF WAR OR MISSING IN 
  1.13  ACTION.] 
  1.14     (a) The motor vehicle of any person who engages in active 
  1.15  service in time of war or other emergency declared by proper 
  1.16  authority in any of the military or naval forces of the United 
  1.17  States shall be exempt from the motor vehicle registration tax 
  1.18  during the period of such active service and for 40 days 
  1.19  immediately thereafter if the owner has filed with the registrar 
  1.20  of motor vehicles a written application for exemption with such 
  1.21  proof of military service as the registrar may have required and 
  1.22  if the motor vehicle is not operated on a public highway within 
  1.23  the state, except by the owner while on furlough or leave of 
  1.24  absence.  
  1.25     (b) The motor vehicle of any disabled war veteran, which 
  1.26  vehicle has been furnished free, in whole or in part, by the 
  2.1   United States government to said disabled veteran, shall be 
  2.2   exempt from the motor vehicle registration tax.  
  2.3      (c) The motor vehicle owned and registered by a former 
  2.4   prisoner of war that bears the "EX-POW" plates is exempt from 
  2.5   the motor vehicle registration tax. 
  2.6      (d) The motor vehicle owned and registered by a person who 
  2.7   was declared missing in action while engaged in active military 
  2.8   service in time of war or other emergency, and so declared by 
  2.9   proper authority in any of the military or naval forces of the 
  2.10  United States, is exempt from the motor vehicle registration 
  2.11  tax.  The motor vehicle owned and registered by a person 
  2.12  formerly missing in action that bears the "EX-MIA" plates is 
  2.13  exempt from the motor vehicle registration tax.  This paragraph 
  2.14  does not apply to persons found to be absent without leave. 
  2.15     Sec. 2.  [168.1255] [SPECIAL LICENSE PLATES FOR VETERANS 
  2.16  FORMERLY MISSING IN ACTION.] 
  2.17     Subdivision 1.  [ISSUANCE AND DESIGN.] The registrar shall 
  2.18  issue special license plates bearing the inscription "EX-MIA" to 
  2.19  any applicant who is both a person formerly declared as missing 
  2.20  in action while on active military service in time of war or 
  2.21  other emergency, and so declared by proper authority in any of 
  2.22  the military or naval forces of the United States, and an owner 
  2.23  or joint owner of a motor vehicle, upon the applicant's 
  2.24  compliance with all the laws of this state relating to the 
  2.25  registration and licensing of motor vehicles and drivers.  The 
  2.26  special license plates shall be of a design and size to be 
  2.27  determined by the commissioner.  Plates bearing the "EX-MIA" 
  2.28  inscription may be issued for only one motor vehicle per 
  2.29  applicant.  
  2.30     Subd. 1a.  [APPLICATION.] Application for issuance of these 
  2.31  plates shall be made at the time of renewal or first application 
  2.32  for registration.  The application shall include a certification 
  2.33  by the commissioner of veterans affairs that the applicant was a 
  2.34  member of the military forces of the United States and was 
  2.35  listed as missing in action by a proper authority of a military 
  2.36  force of the United States during a period of armed conflict.  
  3.1      Subd. 1b.  [NO FEE.] The registrar shall issue a set of 
  3.2   EX-MIA plates to qualified applicants, free of charge for the 
  3.3   cost of the plates, and shall replace them without charge if 
  3.4   they become damaged.  In addition, no fee may be charged for a 
  3.5   subsequent year when tabs or stickers are issued for that motor 
  3.6   vehicle on which the special EX-MIA plates are placed. 
  3.7      Subd. 1c.  [PLATES TRANSFER.] Notwithstanding the 
  3.8   provisions of section 168.12, subdivision 1, the special license 
  3.9   plates issued under this section may be transferred to another 
  3.10  motor vehicle owned or jointly owned by the veteran who was 
  3.11  formerly listed as missing in action, upon notification to the 
  3.12  registrar of motor vehicles.  
  3.13     Subd. 1d.  [SURVIVING SPOUSE.] Upon the death of a veteran 
  3.14  formerly listed as missing in action, the registrar shall 
  3.15  continue to issue free of charge, upon renewal, the special 
  3.16  license plates to a vehicle owned by the veteran's surviving 
  3.17  spouse.  Special license plates issued to a surviving spouse may 
  3.18  be transferred to another vehicle owned by the surviving spouse 
  3.19  as provided in subdivision 1c.  No fee may be charged for 
  3.20  replacement plates issued to a surviving spouse or for tabs or 
  3.21  stickers issued for the motor vehicle on which the special 
  3.22  EX-MIA plates are placed.  A surviving spouse is not exempt from 
  3.23  the motor vehicle registration tax. 
  3.24     Subd. 1e.  [MOTOR VEHICLE; SPECIAL DEFINITION.] For 
  3.25  purposes of this section, "motor vehicle" means a passenger 
  3.26  automobile, van, pickup truck, motorcycle, or recreational 
  3.27  vehicle. 
  3.28     Subd. 2.  [SPECIAL PLATES; EX-MIA AND DISABILITY INSIGNIA.] 
  3.29  The registrar shall issue special license plates bearing both 
  3.30  the EX-MIA and disability insignia to any applicant who is 
  3.31  entitled to the special license plates provided under this 
  3.32  section and who is also entitled to special license plates for 
  3.33  the physically disabled under section 168.021 upon compliance 
  3.34  with the provisions of both sections.  The special license 
  3.35  plates shall be of a design and size to be determined by the 
  3.36  commissioner.  
  4.1      Subd. 3.  [RULES; COMMISSIONER OF PUBLIC SAFETY.] The 
  4.2   commissioner of public safety may promulgate by rule, in 
  4.3   accordance with the provisions of chapter 14, the procedures for 
  4.4   issuance or transfer of the special license plates authorized 
  4.5   under this section.  
  4.6      Subd. 4.  [RULES; COMMISSIONER OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.] The 
  4.7   commissioner of veterans affairs shall establish the procedure 
  4.8   for obtaining the certification of formerly missing in action 
  4.9   status. 
  4.10     Subd. 5.  [SAVINGS PROVISION.] Nothing in this section 
  4.11  shall alter the exemption for disabled war veterans provided for 
  4.12  in section 168.031.