SHALL CAL-MOAA SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION?

The California State Commanders Veterans Council (CSCVC) has been asked to support this legislation. CAL-MOAA is a member of that group. Please send your position on the bill to warren@cal-moaa prior to April 1, 2008.

*******

As we discussed earlier, Senators Cogdill and Denham have introduced SB 1455 which will create a special “Gold Star Families” license plate to honor the families of servicemen and women who have lost their lives in defense of the U.S. Currently the bill is a spot bill, but after it has been in print for 30 days we will be amending it with the language below. The bill will establish a plate and a special fund that will be used to offset the cost of producing the plate. The special fund is needed because under existing law, before a new plate can be issued 7,500 people must sign
up to pay for the plate in order to ensure that there is enough funding to cover production costs. The 7,500 threshold is too high for Gold Star Families to meet, so the fund is meant to make up the difference.

We are trying to round up a large coalition of supporters so that we can send a strong message to the Transportation Committee that the bill deserves a hearing. Any help that you can provide rounding up supporters would be greatly appreciated.

Letters of support can be sent to:

Senators Cogdill and Denham
State Capitol Room 3048
Sacramento, CA 95814

Craig M. Swaim
Legislative Director
Senator Dave Cogdill
(916) 651-4014

*******

SECTION 1. Section 5101.1 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

5101.1. (a) A person otherwise eligible under this article who is a family member of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who was killed while serving on active duty in the military may apply for special license plates issued for a vehicle under this article.

(b) The applicant shall by proof satisfactory to the department show that he or she is a family member of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States who was killed while serving on active duty in the military.

(c) Special license plates issued pursuant to this section shall contain a gold star and the words “Gold Star Family” with the final design approved by the California Highway Patrol.

(d) Upon the death of a person issued special license plates pursuant to this section, the special license plates shall be transferred to the surviving spouse, if he or she requests, or shall be returned to the department within 60 days after the death of the plate holder or upon the expiration of the vehicle registration, whichever occurs first.

(e) For the purposes of this section, “family member,” as determined by the California Department of Veterans Affairs, means all of the following: Widow, Widower, Biological parent, Adoptive parent, Stepparent, Foster parent in loco parentis, Biological child, Adoptive child, Stepchild, Sibling, Half-sibling, Grandparent, Grandchild.

(f) The Gold Star Family License Plate Fund is hereby created in the State Treasury to pay the necessary costs of establishing a Gold Star Family License Plate.(1) Upon the determination of the Department of Motor Vehicles that the Gold Star Family License Plate Fund has attained the goal established in paragraph (f), moneys in the Gold Star Family License Plate Fund shall be
allocated, upon appropriation by the Legislature, to the Department of Motor Vehicles for the necessary administrative costs of establishing the Gold Star Family License Plate.(2) The Gold Star Family License Plate Fund may consist of donations from public and private entities.(3) The Department of Veterans Affairs may actively request donations from both public and private entities to be deposited in the Gold Star Family License Plate Fund.(4) Earnings generated by the Gold Star Family License Plate Fund shall be retained by the Fund.(5) Moneys deposited in the California Gold Star Family License Plate Fund are exempt from the requirements of Sections 11270 through 11277 of the Government Code.(6) Once the money in the Gold Star Family License Plate Fund is transferred to the Department of Motor Vehicle, the fund will sunset within six (6) months.

(g) Section 5156 does not apply to this section.

Submitted By: Pete Conaty @ Associates/Dana Nichol

Comments RSS