As a country, we owe so much to our veterans.

They answered the call when our nation needed them and gave it all on battlefields in faraway lands in different wars. Whether they served in combat or during peacetime, they have all earned the right to be called veterans.

As citizens, we should always do whatever possible to ensure that our veterans are taken care of throughout their lives. No veteran should ever have to go through a lot of red tape or face long wait times to receive the services they rightfully deserve. This is why we fully support a prefiled bill by state Rep. Steve Sheldon, R-Bowling Green, that would provide more assistance to Kentucky’s disabled veterans.

Bill Request 185, which was prefiled Dec. 13, would waive fees for vehicle operator’s licenses, identification cards and other forms of travel identification for certain disabled veterans. If passed, the bill would amend KRS 186.531 involving the statute for voluntary donations to the organ donor program under the fees for licenses, permits and identification cards.

Currently, fees are dispersed to a road fund, license fund, a circuit court clerk salary account, the general fund and the motorcycle fund. Operator’s license renewals or initial issues are $48, according to KRS 186.531, with a disbursement of $31 to the road fund, $7 to the license fund and $10 going to the clerk salary account. Operation licenses for those under 21 are $18, with $8.50 going to the road fund, $5 to the license fund and $4.50 to the clerk salary account. The bill says these issues are for an eight-year period.

“A veteran who served in the Armed Forces of the United States, including the Coast Guard, National Guard, or Reserve component, shall not be subject to the fee for a voluntary travel ID operator’s license, a standard operator’s license, a motorcycle operator’s license, an instruction permit or a personal card if the veteran is disabled with a service-connected disability evaluation of 50 percent or higher, completed his or her term of service and was released, separated or retired under either an honorable discharge or a general under honorable conditions discharge and is not subject to sex offender registration requirements,” according to the bill.

In order to receive the fee exemption, veterans will have to provide a signed letter of disability status issued by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, a Defense Department Form 214 or a National Guard Bureau Form 22.

This is very reasonable and needed legislation that has been prefiled by Sheldon. These fees aren’t outrageous but are large enough to provide a meaningful benefit to our veterans. The veterans who meet these requirements mentioned in the bill should absolutely be exempt from paying these fees because of all they have done for our country.

We commend Sheldon for filing this common-sense legislation and are hopeful that it is passed during the upcoming legislative session.