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LEGISLATURE OF NEBRASKA
ONE HUNDRED NINTH LEGISLATURE
SECOND SESSION
LEGISLATIVE BILL 786
Introduced by Sanders, 45.
Read first time January 07, 2026
Committee: Government, Military and Veterans Affairs
A BILL FOR AN ACT relating to veterans; to amend sections 60-3,122.03 and1
60-3,122.04, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025; to change provisions2
relating to Military Honor Plates under the Motor Vehicle3
Registration Act; to create a fund; to provide for grants to needy4
uniformed service members of the Military Department; to provide5
duties to the Adjutant General; and to repeal the original sections.6
Be it enacted by the people of the State of Nebraska,7
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Section 1. Section 60-3,122.03, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025,1
is amended to read: 2
60-3,122.03 (1) The department shall design license plates to be3
known as Military Honor Plates. 4
(2)(a) The department shall create a design for each of the5
following armed forces that honors designs honoring persons who have6
served or are serving in the: 7
(i) United States Army; , 8
(ii) United States Army Reserve; , 9
(iii) United States Navy; , 10
(iv) United States Navy Reserve; , 11
(v) United States Marine Corps; , 12
(vi) United States Marine Corps Reserve; , 13
(vii) United States Coast Guard; , 14
(viii) United States Coast Guard Reserve; , 15
(ix) United States Air Force; , 16
(x) United States Air Force Reserve; or , 17
(xi) United States Space Force. , 18
(b) The department shall create a design for each of the following19
armed forces that honors persons who have served or are serving in the:20
(i) Air National Guard; , or 21
(ii) Army National Guard. 22
(b) The department may begin issuing the license plates with the23
design honoring persons who have served or are serving in the United24
States Space Force on January 1, 2026. 25
(3) The design for each of the armed forces specified in subsection26
(2) of this section shall reflect the There shall be thirteen such27
designs, one for each of such armed forces reflecting its official28
emblem, official seal, or other official image of such armed forces . The29
issuance of plates for each of such armed forces shall be conditioned on30
the approval of the armed forces owning the copyright to the official31
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emblem, official seal, or other official image. 1
(4) (4)(a) The department shall create six additional designs2
honoring persons who are serving or have served in the armed forces of3
the United States and who have been awarded the Afghanistan Campaign4
Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal,5
Southwest Asia Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, or Inherent Resolve6
Campaign Medal. 7
(b) A person may apply for license plates with the Inherent Resolve8
Campaign Medal beginning on January 1, 2026. 9
(5) The department shall create the following additional designs10
honoring persons who are serving or have served in the armed forces of11
the United States and may begin issuing such license plates on January 1,12
2026: 13
(a) One design that includes the word "veteran"; and14
(b) One design that includes the word "veteran" and the15
internationally accepted wheelchair symbol specified in section 60-3,113.16
(6)(a) A person may qualify for a Military Honor Plate by17
registering with the Department of Veterans' Affairs pursuant to section18
80-414. The Department of Motor Vehicles shall verify the applicant's19
eligibility for a plate created pursuant to this section by consulting20
the registry established by the Department of Veterans' Affairs.21
(b) To be eligible for the license plates described in subdivision22
(5)(b) of this section, in addition to any other eligibility requirements23
for such license plates under this section: 24
(i) An application and proof of disability in the form and with the25
information required by section 60-3,113.02 shall be submitted before26
issuance or reissuance of such license plates; and27
(ii) The handicap or disability of the handicapped or disabled28
person shall be certified as permanent. 29
(7) The design shall be selected on the basis of limiting the30
manufacturing cost of each plate to an amount less than or equal to the31
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amount charged for license plates pursuant to section 60-3,102. The1
Department of Motor Vehicles shall make applications available for each2
type of plate when it is designed. The department may adopt and3
promulgate rules and regulations to carry out this section and section4
60-3,122.04. 5
(8) One type of Military Honor Plates shall be alphanumeric plates.6
The department shall: 7
(a) Assign a designation up to five characters; and8
(b) Not use a county designation. 9
(9) One type of Military Honor Plates shall be personalized message10
plates. Such plates shall be issued subject to the same conditions11
specified for personalized message license plates in section 60-3,118,12
except that a maximum of five characters may be used.13
(10) The department shall cease to issue Military Honor Plates14
beginning with the next license plate issuance cycle after the license15
plate issuance cycle that begins in 2023 pursuant to section 60-3,101 if16
the total number of registered vehicles that obtained such plates is less17
than one hundred per year within any prior consecutive two-year period.18
Sec. 2. Section 60-3,122.04, Revised Statutes Supplement, 2025, is19
amended to read: 20
60-3,122.04 (1)(a) An eligible person may apply to the department21
for Military Honor Plates in lieu of regular license plates on an22
application prescribed and provided by the department for any motor23
vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer, except for a motor vehicle or trailer24
registered under section 60-3,198. An applicant receiving a Military25
Honor Plate for a farm truck with a gross weight of over sixteen tons26
shall affix the appropriate tonnage decal to the plate.27
(b) The department shall make forms available for such applications28
through the county treasurers. 29
(c) The license plates shall be issued upon payment of the license30
fee described in subsection (2) of this section and verification by the31
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department of an applicant's eligibility using the registry established1
by the Department of Veterans' Affairs pursuant to section 80-414. To be2
eligible an applicant shall be: 3
(i) Active duty or reserve duty armed forces personnel serving in4
any of the armed forces listed in subsection (2) of section 60-3,122.035
or a veteran of any of such armed forces who was discharged or otherwise6
separated with a characterization of honorable or general (under7
honorable conditions); 8
(ii) A current or former commissioned officer of the United States9
Public Health Service or National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration10
who has been detailed directly to any branch of such armed forces for11
service on active or reserve duty and who was discharged or otherwise12
separated with a characterization of honorable or general (under13
honorable conditions) as proven with valid orders from the United States14
Department of Defense, a statement of service provided by the United15
States Public Health Service, or a report of transfer or discharge16
provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration;17
(iii) A person who is serving or has served in the armed forces of18
the United States and who has been awarded the Afghanistan Campaign19
Medal, Iraq Campaign Medal, Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal,20
Southwest Asia Service Medal, Vietnam Service Medal, or Inherent Resolve21
Campaign Medal; 22
(iv) For the license plate described in subdivision (5)(a) of23
section 60-3,122.03, a person who is serving or has served in the armed24
forces of the United States; 25
(v) For the license plate described in subdivision (5)(b) of section26
60-3,122.03, a person who is serving or has served in the armed forces of27
the United States and is permanently handicapped or disabled; or28
(vi) A Beginning January 1, 2026, a trust that owns the motor29
vehicle, trailer, or semitrailer if a designated beneficiary of the trust30
qualifies under this subdivision (1)(c). 31
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(d) Any person using Military Honor Plates shall surrender the1
plates to the county treasurer if such person is no longer eligible for2
the plates. Regular plates shall be issued to any such person upon3
surrender of the Military Honor Plates for a three-dollar transfer fee4
and forfeiture of any of the remaining annual fee. The three-dollar5
transfer fee shall be remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the6
Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund. 7
(2)(a) In addition to all other fees required for registration under8
the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance9
or renewal of alphanumeric Military Honor Plates shall be accompanied by10
a fee of five dollars. County treasurers collecting such fee fees11
pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fee them to the State12
Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit such fee to the designated13
recipient specified in subdivision (c) of this subsection. five dollars14
of the fee to the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund.15
(b) In addition to all other fees required for registration under16
the Motor Vehicle Registration Act, each application for initial issuance17
or renewal of personalized message Military Honor Plates shall be18
accompanied by a fee of forty dollars. County treasurers collecting such19
fee fees pursuant to this subdivision shall remit such fee them to the20
State Treasurer. The State Treasurer shall credit twenty-five percent of21
such the fee for initial issuance and renewal of such plates to the22
Department of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund and seventy-five percent of such23
the fee to the designated recipient specified in subdivision (c) of this24
subsection. Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund.25
(c) The designated recipient for the fee paid for any license plate26
described in: 27
(i) Subdivision (2)(a) or subsection (4) or (5) of section28
60-3,122.03 is the Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund; or29
(ii) Subdivision (2)(b) of section 60-3,122.03 is the Military30
Department Aid Fund. 31
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(3)(a) When the department receives an application for Military1
Honor Plates, the department may deliver the plates and registration2
certificate to the applicant by United States mail or to the county3
treasurer of the county in which the motor vehicle or trailer is4
registered and the delivery of the plates and registration certificate5
shall be made through a secure process and system. If delivery of the6
plates and registration certificate is made by the department to the7
applicant, the department may charge a postage and handling fee in an8
amount not more than necessary to recover the cost of postage and9
handling for the specific items mailed to the registrant. The department10
shall remit the fee to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department11
of Motor Vehicles Cash Fund. The county treasurer or the department shall12
issue Military Honor Plates in lieu of regular license plates when the13
applicant complies with the other provisions of the Motor Vehicle14
Registration Act for registration of the motor vehicle or trailer. If15
Military Honor Plates are lost, stolen, or mutilated, the licensee shall16
be issued replacement license plates upon request pursuant to section17
60-3,157. 18
(b) The county treasurer or the department may issue temporary19
license stickers to the applicant under this section for the applicant to20
lawfully operate the vehicle pending receipt of the license plates. No21
charge in addition to the registration fee shall be made for the issuance22
of a temporary license sticker under this subdivision. The department23
shall furnish temporary license stickers for issuance by the county24
treasurer at no cost to the counties. The department may adopt and25
promulgate rules and regulations regarding the design and issuance of26
temporary license stickers. 27
(4) The owner of a motor vehicle or trailer bearing Military Honor28
Plates may apply to the county treasurer to have such plates transferred29
to a motor vehicle or trailer other than the motor vehicle or trailer for30
which such plates were originally purchased if such motor vehicle or31
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trailer is owned by the owner of the plates. The owner may have the1
unused portion of the fee for the plates credited to the other motor2
vehicle or trailer which will bear the plates at the rate of eight and3
one-third percent per month for each full month left in the registration4
period. Application for such transfer shall be accompanied by a fee of5
three dollars. Fees collected pursuant to this subsection shall be6
remitted to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Motor7
Vehicles Cash Fund. 8
(5) If the cost of manufacturing Military Honor Plates at any time9
exceeds the amount charged for license plates pursuant to section10
60-3,102, any money to be credited to the designated recipient specified11
in subdivision (2)(c) of this section Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System12
Operation Fund shall instead be credited first to the Highway Trust Fund13
in an amount equal to the difference between the manufacturing costs of14
Military Honor Plates and the amount charged pursuant to section 60-3,10215
with respect to such plates and the remainder shall be credited to the16
designated recipient specified in subdivision (2)(c) of this section17
Nebraska Veteran Cemetery System Operation Fund. 18
(6) If the director discovers evidence of fraud in an application19
for Military Honor Plates or that the holder is no longer eligible to20
have Military Honor Plates, the director may summarily cancel the plates21
and registration and send notice of the cancellation to the holder of the22
license plates. 23
Sec. 3. (1) The Military Department Aid Fund is created. The24
Adjutant General shall administer the fund. The fund shall consist of25
gifts, grants, bequests, money received from any public or private26
source, money credited pursuant to section 60-3,122.04, and money27
transferred to the fund by the Legislature. 28
(2) Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested29
by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital30
Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act. Any interest31
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or realized capital gains from any such investment shall be credited to1
the Military Department Aid Fund. 2
(3) The Military Department Aid Fund shall only be used pursuant to3
this section. 4
(4) The Adjutant General may award grants from the Military5
Department Aid Fund pursuant to section 4 of this act.6
Sec. 4. (1) A member of the Military Department may apply to the7
Adjutant General for a grant under this section. The Adjutant General8
shall prescribe the form for the application. 9
(2) The Adjutant General may award a grant to any member of the10
Military Department who applies under this section and meets the11
qualifications of an eligible grant recipient that are adopted and12
promulgated in rules and regulations by the Adjutant General.13
(3) The State of Nebraska shall not require or request any recipient14
of a grant awarded under this section to reimburse any money received15
from such grant. 16
(4) No later than January 1, 2027, the Adjutant General shall adopt17
and promulgate rules and regulations for the qualifications of an18
eligible grant recipient. Any such rules and regulations shall limit the19
eligible recipients of any grant awarded under this section to needy20
uniformed service members of the Military Department.21
(5) The Adjutant General may adopt and promulgate rules and22
regulations to carry out this section. 23
Sec. 5. Original sections 60-3,122.03 and 60-3,122.04, Revised24
Statutes Supplement, 2025, are repealed. 25
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