§490.36. Military honor license plates; "Military Medal Award" recipients

            A.(1) The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall establish a military honor license plate to be known as the "Military Medal Award" plate.

            (2) This plate shall be made available to honorably discharged recipients, as certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs, of the following medal awards:

            (a) Navy Cross.

            (b) Air Force Cross.

            (c) Defense Distinguished Service Medal.

            (d) Homeland Security Distinguished Service Medal.

            (e) Distinguished Service Medal (Army).

            (f) Navy Distinguished Service Medal.

            (g) Air Force Distinguished Service Medal.

            (h) Coast Guard Distinguished Service Medal.

            (i) Silver Star.

            (j) Defense Superior Service Medal.

            (k) Legion of Merit.

            (l) Distinguished Flying Cross.

            (m) Air Medal.

            (n) Soldier's Medal.

            (o) Airman's Medal.

            (p) Navy and Marine Corps Medal.

            (q) Coast Guard Medal.

            B. Upon application of a "Military Medal Award" recipient, as certified by the Department of Veterans Affairs, the secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections shall issue a military honor license plate to be used in lieu of a regular motor vehicle registration plate. The license plate shall be restricted to use on passenger cars, pickup trucks, recreational vehicles, motorcycles, and vans. The military honor license plate shall be known as the "Military Medal Award" license plate and shall include the name of the veteran's branch of service and the name and image of the medal.

            C. The charge for this license plate shall be the regular motor vehicle registration license fee as provided for under the provisions of R.S. 47:463.

            D. The secretary shall adopt rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Section, including but not limited to rules governing the transfer of license plates from one vehicle to another and the disposition of such license plates.

            E.(1) Any applicant who qualifies for the military honor license plate authorized by this Section may be issued a license plate for each vehicle registered in the applicant's name.

            (2) Except as otherwise provided in this Paragraph, each military honor license plate issued pursuant to this Section shall be returned to the secretary upon the death of the person to whom the license plate was issued. The surviving spouse of a person to whom a license plate was issued pursuant to this Section may retain a license plate issued pursuant to this Section, provided the surviving spouse has not remarried and provided the surviving spouse applies to the secretary for a transfer of the license plate to the surviving spouse. A military honor license plate transferred pursuant to this Paragraph to a surviving spouse shall be returned to the secretary upon the death or remarriage of the surviving spouse.

            Acts 2022, No. 53, §1.