As Introduced

130th General Assembly
Regular Session
2013-2014
S. B. No. 254


Senator Eklund 

Cosponsors: Senators Gardner, Jones, Turner, Patton, Seitz, Kearney, Burke 

A BILL
To amend section 5101.98 and to enact section 1
4503.535 of the Revised Code to create the 2
"POW/MIA Awareness" license plate.3


BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:

       Section 1.  That section 5101.98 be amended and section 4
4503.535 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:5

       Sec. 4503.535.  (A) The owner or lessee of any passenger car, 6
noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, motorcycle, 7
motorized bicycle or moped, trailer, or other vehicle of a class 8
approved by the registrar of motor vehicles, and, effective 9
January 1, 2017, the owner or lessee of any motor-driven cycle or 10
motor scooter or cab-enclosed motorcycle, may apply to the 11
registrar for the registration of the vehicle and issuance of 12
POW/MIA awareness license plates. The application for POW/MIA 13
awareness license plates may be combined with a request for a 14
special reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of 15
the Revised Code. Upon receipt of the completed application and 16
compliance with division (B) of this section, the registrar shall 17
issue to the applicant the appropriate vehicle registration and a 18
set of POW/MIA awareness license plates with a validation sticker, 19
or a validation sticker alone when required by section 4503.191 of 20
the Revised Code.21

        In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed 22
thereon, POW/MIA awareness license plates shall bear the words 23
"never forgotten" and markings designed by rolling thunder, inc., 24
chapter 1 Ohio. The registrar shall approve the final design. 25
POW/MIA awareness license plates shall bear county identification 26
stickers that identify the county of registration by name or 27
number.28

       (B) POW/MIA awareness license plates and validation stickers 29
shall be issued upon payment of the regular license tax as 30
prescribed under section 4503.04 of the Revised Code, any 31
applicable motor vehicle tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the 32
Revised Code, a bureau of motor vehicles administrative fee of ten 33
dollars, the contribution specified in division (C) of this 34
section, and compliance with all other applicable laws relating to 35
the registration of motor vehicles. If the application for POW/MIA 36
awareness license plates is combined with a request for a special 37
reserved license plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the 38
Revised Code, the license plates and validation sticker shall be 39
issued upon payment of the contribution, fees, and taxes contained 40
in this division and the additional fee prescribed under section 41
4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.42

       (C) For each application for registration and registration 43
renewal submitted under this section, the registrar shall collect 44
a contribution of twenty-five dollars. The registrar shall pay 45
this contribution into the state treasury to the credit of the 46
military injury relief fund created in section 5101.98 of the 47
Revised Code.48

       The registrar shall pay the ten-dollar bureau administrative 49
fee, the purpose of which is to compensate the bureau for 50
additional services required in issuing POW/MIA awareness license 51
plates, into the state treasury to the credit of the state bureau 52
of motor vehicles fund created in section 4501.25 of the Revised 53
Code.54

       Sec. 5101.98.  (A) There is hereby created in the state 55
treasury the military injury relief fund, which shall consist of 56
money contributed to it under sectionsections 4503.535 and57
5747.113 of the Revised Code, of incentive grants authorized by 58
the "Jobs for Veterans Act," 116 Stat. 2033 (2002), and of 59
contributions made directly to it. Any person or entity may 60
contribute directly to the fund in addition to or independently of 61
the income tax refund contribution system established in section 62
5747.113 of the Revised Code.63

       (B) Upon application, the director of job and family services 64
shall grant money in the fund to individuals injured while in 65
active service as a member of the armed forces of the United 66
States while serving under operation Iraqi freedom, operation new 67
dawn, or operation enduring freedom and to individuals diagnosed 68
with post-traumatic stress disorder while serving, or after having 69
served, in operation Iraqi freedom, operation new dawn, or 70
operation enduring freedom.71

       (C) An individual who receives a grant under this section is 72
precluded from receiving additional grants under this section 73
during the same state fiscal year but is not precluded from being 74
considered for or receiving other assistance offered by the 75
department of job and family services.76

       (D) The director shall adopt rules under Chapter 119. of the 77
Revised Code establishing:78

       (1) Forms and procedures by which individuals may apply for a 79
grant under this section;80

       (2) Criteria for reviewing, evaluating, and approving or 81
denying grant applications;82

       (3) Criteria for determining the amount of grants awarded 83
under this section; 84

       (4) Definitions and standards applicable to determining 85
whether an individual meets the requirements established in 86
division (B) of this section;87

       (5) The process for appealing eligibility determinations; and88

       (6) Any other rules necessary to administer the grant program 89
established in this section.90

       (E) An eligibility determination, a grant approval, or a 91
grant denial made under this section may not be appealed under 92
Chapter 119., section 5101.35, or any other provision of the 93
Revised Code.94

       Section 2.  That existing section 5101.98 of the Revised Code 95
is hereby repealed.96