A new law will now expand the eligibility of those who want to have a Gold Star License plate. The aim is to allow more members of the family to recognize their loved one who died in combat.
Under current law, the spouse, legal parents, or stepparent of a fallen armed forces service member can apply and receive the Gold Star License plate.
“A Gold Star Family Member is defined by the Department of Defense as someone who is directly related to a fallen service member and killed in action,” said Sen. Wilton Simpson (R-Trilby). “What this bill does is it conforms Florida law with the federal law, which further defines who can obtain a Gold Star tag.”
So, Simpson says the new law allows even more to apply.
“We’re attempting to add parent through adoption, foster parent, child, stepchild, brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister of the fallen service member,” he added.
Simpson says this issue became important to him, after the mother of a fallen service member in his district asked him to change the law. She said his siblings were unable to apply for the plate to honor their brother. Last week, Governor Rick Scott signed Simpson’s bill into law. The new law takes effect July 1st.
