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Babauta OKs license plates for veterans
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Posted on Jun 20 2004
Just as the 60th anniversary celebrations of the World War II Battles of Saipan and Tinian was winding down Friday, Gov. Juan N. Babauta penned his signature to a bill that honors local veterans by providing special vehicle license plates for them.
House Bill 14-103 amends Chapter 1 of Division 2 of Title 9 of the Commonwealth Code to add a new section that provides for the Veteran’s License Act of 2004.
The measure, HB 14-103 (now Public Law 14-16), honors the Commonwealth’s veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces for their service to the United States and its people.
According to the governor, the license plates would identify them and commemorate their service and great contributions to the freedoms that the CNMI enjoy today.
“This form of recognition has been provided to veterans in other states and territories in the United States and the administration firmly agrees that it is time for the Commonwealth to also pay tribute to the courageous actions and sacrifices or our veterans, especially those who served in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War and in other times of conflict, by providing these special vehicle license plates,” said Babauta.
The governor also asked the Legislature to consider the introduction of further legislation to more specifically define the term “active reserve component” as set forth at Section 2116 (a).
The measure, introduced by House Reps. David Apatang, Jesus Attao, Arnold Palacios, and Benjamin Seman, stressed the need for the CNMI to express its gratitude to veterans for their courageous deeds by making the license plates available.
In order to qualify, war veterans are urged to contact the Bureau of Motor Vehicles and to submit an application form along with the vehicle registration. Applicants also need to submit a copy of the Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The Department of Public Safety would now start planning for the design and issuance of the veteran license plates, which is expected to be implemented and distributed within the next 90 days.
