After failing to pass during the 2013 legislative session, a license plate to honor fallen law-enforcement officers cleared its first Senate hurdle Wednesday.
The Senate Transportation Committee unanimously backed the proposal (SB 132) by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater, to create the Fallen Law Enforcement Officers license plate.
The tag would include the words “A Hero Remembered Never Dies” across the bottom. Money would benefit the Police and Kids Foundation, Inc.
To reach the Senate floor during the 2014 legislative session, the proposal must go before the Transportation, Tourism and Economic Development Appropriations Subcommittee and the Appropriations Committee.
Latvala introduced a proposal last session, but it did not pass.
Florida currently offers 120 different specialty tags, and backers of four others are trying to meet a requirement that they get 1,000 pre-orders before their plates can be made.
Those four are for Lauren’s Kids, the American Legion, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Freemasonry. As of Oct. 3, the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles said 242 had been sold for Lauren’s Kids, 12 for the American Legion and 8 for Big Brothers Big Sisters. The Freemasonry tag, which became available Oct. 1, had 320 preorders.