A Florida license plate honoring fallen law-enforcement officers cleared received its first Senate approval Wednesday. A similar proposal failed in 2013.
The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously backed bill SB 132, proposed by Sen. Jack Latvala to create the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers license plate. During the 2013 session, Latvala introduced a similar proposal (SB 712).
Before the bill makes the Senate floor in the 2014 legislative session, it must first pass the Appropriations Committee and the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee.
The House has not yet scheduled the companion bill (HB 65) to come before any committees.
If passed, the new tag would have the words “A Hero Remembered Never Dies.” Funds raised from sales of the plate would go to the Police and Kids Foundation, Inc.
The law-enforcement plate would join 120 different specialty tags in Florida, with four others — Lauren’s Kids, the American Legion, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Freemasonry — trying to meet the requirement of 1,000 pre-orders before plates can be made.
As of Oct. 3, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said pre-orders for Lauren’s Kids are 242, American Legion has 12, and there are eight for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Freemasonry tag, available since Oct. 1, has 320 pre-orders.
