1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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3 SENATE BILL 688 By: Stanley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to driver licenses; amending 47 O.S.
7 2021, Section 6-124, as amended by Section 63,
8 Chapter 282, O.S.L. 2022 (47 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section
8 6-124), which relates to issuance of license or
9 identification card to veterans; requiring certain
9 disabled veterans’ disability rating be notated on
10 driver licenses or identification cards; allowing for
10 spouses and unremarried surviving spouses of certain
11 veterans to receive disability rating or veteran
11 status notation on driver licenses or identification
12 cards; requiring notation be accepted as proof of
12 sales tax exemption and veterans benefits; requiring
13 certain registration to receive notations; requiring
13 implementation of certain information exchange
14 process by certain date; requiring compliance with
14 certain standards for certain licenses; directing
15 Service Oklahoma to seek certain federal approval;
15 and providing an effective date.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 47 O.S. 2021, Section 6-124, as
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20 amended by Section 63, Chapter 282, O.S.L. 2022 (47 O.S. Supp. 2022,
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21 Section 6-124), is amended to read as follows:
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22 Section 6-124. A. As a way to honor and recognize the veterans
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23 who have served our country, Service Oklahoma shall make space
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24 available in the upper left-hand corner of the front of the driver
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 1 license and the identification card for a flag emblem and the word
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2 “veteran” to. Similarly, when applicable, Service Oklahoma shall,
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3 either on the front or back of the driver license or the
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4 identification card, include a numeric designation indicating a
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5 veteran’s one-hundred-percent disability rating granted to the
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6 veteran by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The
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7 items required by this subsection shall be designed by Service
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8 Oklahoma that will serve as a notation of veteran status as well as
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9 a notation of the existence of a United States Department of
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10 Veterans Affairs disability rating as applicable. The current
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11 spouse of a one-hundred-percent disabled veteran or an unremarried
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12 surviving spouse of a deceased, one-hundred-percent disabled veteran
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13 shall be entitled to receive a driver license or identification card
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14 indicating his or her status as an eligible current spouse or an
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15 eligible unremarried surviving spouse entitled to the sales tax
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16 exemption provided in Section 1357 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma
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17 Statutes. Representation of veteran status and disability rating on
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18 the driver license and the identification card shall be adequate
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19 confirmation for purposes of veterans benefits offered by public or
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20 private entities doing business within this state and no further
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21 documentation shall be required except as specifically mandated by
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22 federal law.
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23 B. Upon application for issuance or renewal of the driver
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24 license or identification card and in addition to other
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 1 documentation required by Service Oklahoma, persons requesting the
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2 flag emblem or the flag emblem and the disability notation shall be
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3 registered with the veterans registry Oklahoma Veterans Registry
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4 created by the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs. Provided,
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5 that if the person requesting the flag emblem has previously
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6 received a flag emblem pursuant to this subsection, no registration
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7 with the veterans registry shall be required to receive the flag
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8 emblem prior to the deadline established in subsection C of this
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9 section.
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10 C. Service Oklahoma and the Oklahoma Department of Veterans
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11 Affairs shall implement a technology-based information exchange
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12 process whereby the Department of Public Safety and all motor
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13 license agents are able to validate, upon application for issuance
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14 or renewal of the driver license or identification card, an
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15 applicant’s claim of veteran status, veteran disability status,
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16 status as a current spouse of an eligible, disabled veteran or
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17 status as an unremarried surviving spouse of an eligible, deceased
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18 disabled veteran as provided for in subsection A of this section.
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19 The requirements of this subsection shall be implemented no later
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20 than July 1, 2024.
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21 D. With regard to the issuance of REAL-ID compliant licenses
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22 containing items described in subsection A of this section, Service
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23 Oklahoma shall comply with all federal design requirements and shall
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24 seek design approval from all necessary federal agencies, including
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 1 but not limited to the United States Department of Homeland
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2 Security.
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3 E. Service Oklahoma shall promulgate any rule necessary to
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4 implement the provisions of this section.
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5 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
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7 59-1-607 KR 1/18/2023 12:42:29 PM
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