Bill Text: MI SB0118 | 2019-2020 | 100th Legislature | Chaptered

Michigan Senate Bill 118 (Prior Session Legislation)

Bill Title: Vehicles: registration plates; blue star family registration plates; create. Amends sec. 803e of 1949 PA 300 (MCL 257.803e).

Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 8-2)

Status: (Passed) 2020-03-04 - Assigned Pa 0051'20 With Immediate Effect [SB0118 Detail]

Download: Michigan-2019-SB0118-Chaptered.html

Act No. 51

Public Acts of 2020

Approved by the Governor

March 3, 2020

Filed with the Secretary of State

March 3, 2020

EFFECTIVE DATE: March 3, 2020

state of michigan

100th Legislature

Regular session of 2020

Introduced by Senators Daley, Wojno, Hollier, MacDonald, Horn, LaSata, Outman, Victory, Runestad and Johnson

ENROLLED SENATE BILL No. 118

AN ACT to amend 1949 PA 300, entitled �An act to provide for the registration, titling, sale, transfer, and regulation of certain vehicles operated upon the public highways of this state or any other place open to the general public or generally accessible to motor vehicles and distressed vehicles; to provide for the licensing of dealers; to provide for the examination, licensing, and control of operators and chauffeurs; to provide for the giving of proof of financial responsibility and security by owners and operators of vehicles; to provide for the imposition, levy, and collection of specific taxes on vehicles, and the levy and collection of sales and use taxes, license fees, and permit fees; to provide for the regulation and use of streets and highways; to create certain funds; to provide penalties and sanctions for a violation of this act; to provide for civil liability of manufacturers, the manufacturers of certain devices, the manufacturers of automated technology, upfitters, owners, and operators of vehicles and service of process on residents and nonresidents; to regulate the introduction and use of certain evidence; to regulate and certify the manufacturers of certain devices; to provide for approval and certification of installers and servicers of certain devices; to provide for the levy of certain assessments; to provide for the enforcement of this act; to provide for the creation of and to prescribe the powers and duties of certain state and local agencies; to impose liability upon the state or local agencies; to provide appropriations for certain purposes; to repeal all other acts or parts of acts inconsistent with this act or contrary to this act; and to repeal certain parts of this act on a specific date,� by amending section 803e (MCL 257.803e), as amended by 2011 PA 46.

The People of the State of Michigan enact:

Sec. 803e. (1) A person who has been a prisoner of war or a person whose spouse has been a prisoner of war may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers preceded by the letters �EX-POW� and the words �ex-prisoner of war� beneath the registration number.

(2) A person who was a member of the armed services during World War I may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers preceded by the letters �WWI� and the words �World War I veteran� beneath the registration number.

(3) A person who was a member of the armed services during 1941, stationed at a United States military or naval establishment at Pearl Harbor in the Hawaiian islands, and who survived the attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941 may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers and the words �Pearl Harbor survivor� beneath the registration number.

(4) A person who is a recipient of the Purple Heart Medal may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers and the words �combat wounded veteran� beneath the registration number. In addition, the special registration plate described in this subsection must be inscribed with a vignette of the official Purple Heart Medal.

(5) Application for a special registration plate must be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and must be accompanied by any proof of the applicant having been a prisoner of war, World War I veteran, Pearl Harbor survivor, or recipient of the Purple Heart Medal that the secretary of state may require. Application for a �Gold Star Family� special registration plate described in subsection (9) or a �Blue Star Family� special registration plate described in subsection (10) must be on a form prescribed by the secretary of state and must be accompanied by any proof of the applicant having been a gold star or blue star family member that the secretary of state may require. The application for a special registration plate must also be accompanied with payment of a $5.00 service fee.

(6) Upon proper application and payment of the $5.00 service fee, the secretary of state shall issue 1 or more special registration plates for each applicant for use on a passenger vehicle. A person who is disabled who applies for a special registration plate under this section and who makes payment of the $5.00 service fee must be issued a tab for persons with disabilities as provided in section 803f for his or her special registration plate. The secretary of state shall require the same proof that the applicant is a disabled person as is required for issuance of a permanent windshield placard under section 675. One person in any household is entitled to 1 special registration plate issued under subsection (1) that is exempt from payment of the tax provided in section 801. The person who is issued an additional special registration plate under subsection (1) must be assessed the applicable tax provided for in section 801. A person issued 1 or more special registration plates under subsection (2), (3), (4), (9), or (10) must be assessed the applicable tax provided in section 801.

(7) The use of a special registration plate on a vehicle other than the vehicle for which the plate is issued, or by a person who does not qualify under this section, is a misdemeanor.

(8) The special registration plate issued under this section expires on the birthday of the vehicle owner in a year in which new plates are issued by the secretary of state. Application for renewal of the special registration plate must be accompanied by a $5.00 service fee. The applicant is not required to furnish the proof provided in subsection (5).

(9) A gold star family member may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers preceded by a gold star and the words �Gold Star Family� beneath the registration number.

(10) A blue star family member may apply to the secretary of state for a special registration plate inscribed with special identification numbers preceded by a Blue Star Families insignia and the words �Blue Star Family� beneath the registration number.

(11) As used in this section:

(a) �Blue star family member� means a person who is currently serving in the United States Armed Forces or in forces incorporated as part of the United States Armed Forces or a person who has an immediate family member serving in the United States Armed Forces or in forces incorporated as part of the United States Armed Forces. As used in this subdivision, �immediate family member� means a parent, stepparent, adoptive parent, foster parent standing in loco parentis, child, stepchild, adopted child, sibling, half-sibling, spouse, or grandparent.

(b) �Gold star family member� means a person who has had an immediate family member die while serving in the United States Armed Forces or in forces incorporated as part of the United States Armed Forces if the immediate family member meets any of the eligibility criteria specified in 10 USC 1126(a)(1) to (3) for a gold star lapel button.

This act is ordered to take immediate effect.