SF 185 (LSB 1033SV (1) 88)

SENATE FILE 185

BY  COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORTATION

(SUCCESSOR TO SF 61)

A BILL FOR

An Act relating to motor vehicle registration fees for disabled veterans.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:

    Section 1.  Section 321.105, subsection 5, Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   5.  a.  Seriously disabled veterans who have been provided with an automobile or other vehicle by the United States government under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. §3901 – 3904, shall be exempt from payment of the registration fee fees provided in this chapter for that vehicle, and shall be provided, without fee, with one set of regular registration plates or one set of any type of special registration plates associated with service in the United States armed forces for which the disabled veteran qualifies under section 321.34. The disabled veteran, to be able to claim the benefit, must be a resident of the state of Iowa. In lieu of the set of regular or special military registration plates available without fee, the disabled veteran may obtain a set of nonmilitary special registration plates or personalized plates issued under section 321.34 by paying the additional fees associated with those plates.
   b.  A disabled veteran with a service-related disability rating of seventy percent or higher as determined by the United States department of veterans affairs shall be exempt from payment of the registration fees provided in this chapter for one vehicle, and shall be provided, without fee, with one set of regular registration plates or one set of any type of special registration plates associated with service in the United States armed forces for which the disabled veteran qualifies under section 321.34. The disabled veteran, to be able to claim the benefit, must be a resident of the state of Iowa. In lieu of the set of regular or special military registration plates available without fee, the disabled veteran may obtain a set of nonmilitary special registration plates or personalized plates issued under section 321.34 by paying the additional fees associated with those plates. However, if the disabled veteran was issued or reassigned a set of nonmilitary special registration plates or personalized plates in the one-year period prior to July 1, 2019, the disabled veteran may continue to use the plates without paying the additional fees associated with those plates.
    Sec. 2.  Section 321L.2, subsection 1, paragraph a, subparagraph (2), Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   (2)  Persons with disabilities parking sticker. An applicant who owns a motor vehicle for which the applicant has been issued registration plates under section 321.34 or registration plates as a seriously disabled veteran under section 321.105 may apply to the department for a persons with disabilities parking sticker to be affixed to the plates. The persons with disabilities parking stickers shall bear the international symbol of accessibility.
    Sec. 3.  Section 321L.2, subsection 5, Code 2019, is amended to read as follows:
   5.  A seriously disabled veteran who has been provided with an automobile or other vehicle by the United States government under the provisions of 38 U.S.C. §3901 – 3904, or a disabled veteran with a service-related disability rating of seventy percent or higher as determined by the United States department of veterans affairs, is not required to apply for a persons with disabilities parking permit under this section unless the veteran has been issued special registration plates or personalized plates for the vehicle. The regular registration plates issued for the disabled veteran’s vehicle without fee pursuant to section 321.105 entitle the disabled veteran to all of the rights and privileges associated with persons with disabilities parking permits under this chapter.
EXPLANATION
The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
   Current law exempts seriously disabled veterans who have been provided with an automobile or other vehicle by the United States government from paying motor vehicle registration fees and applying for a persons with disabilities parking permit. This bill broadens these exemptions to include disabled veterans with a service-related disability rating of 70 percent or higher as determined by the United States department of veterans affairs.
   The bill provides such disabled veterans with one free set of regular registration plates or one free set of any type of special registration plates associated with service in the United States armed forces for which the disabled veteran qualifies under Code section 321.34. The bill requires the disabled veteran to be a resident of the state of Iowa. In lieu of the set of regular or special military registration plates available without fee, the disabled veteran may obtain a set of nonmilitary special registration plates or personalized plates by paying the additional fees associated with those plates. However, if the veteran was issued or reassigned such plates prior to July 1, 2019, the veteran may continue to use the plates without paying the additional fees.
   By operation of law, Code section 321.166 requires the registration plates provided under the bill to display the alphabetical characters “DV” preceding the registration plate number.