Substitute House Bill No. 5285, Public Act No. 24-119, is a legislative act that modifies the issuance of veterans' specialty license plates and driver's licenses to include certain former armed forces reservists and to update security features. The bill mandates that dishonorably discharged members of the armed forces return their specialty plates within thirty days and are ineligible for renewal. It expands eligibility for special plates to former reservists and surviving spouses, contingent on verification from the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill also clarifies that the issuance of such plates or the listing of a person as a veteran does not prove eligibility for other veteran benefits. Additionally, it updates the definitions of "veteran," "armed forces," and "qualifying condition" and includes provisions for updating the status of a person as a veteran on motor vehicle operator's licenses and identity cards starting October 1, 2024.

The bill introduces new security features for licenses and identity cards, including physical security measures and machine-readable technology, to prevent unauthorized reproduction. It allows veterans, including those from the Hmong Laotian special guerilla units who served in Laos during the Vietnam War, to have their status indicated on their licenses or identity cards, with the Department of Veterans Affairs verifying this status. The bill makes several linguistic updates, such as replacing "his or her" with "such person's," and specifies that having veteran status on a license or identity card is not proof of eligibility for other benefits. The bill was enacted on June 5, 2024.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill: 14-20b, 14-36h
VA Joint Favorable: 14-20b, 14-36h
File No. 173: 14-20b, 14-36h
Public Act No. 24-119: 14-20b, 14-36h