Anyone in the state can now purchase a license tag to not only honor veterans, but also help support indigent veterans living in VA homes. The legislation was spearheaded by Adrian Grice, Executive Director of Mississippi State Veterans’ Affairs Board. The cost of the new tag is $31 over the regular price with $24 going to Veteran’s Affairs, $15 of that goes to VA Homes for caring costs of indigent veterans.

A veteran must be living in the Home, and have no family to care for him or her in order for the collected money to go toward the veteran’s care. An unmarried spouse of a deceased veteran can also receive this benefit if the spouse is living in a Mississippi VA home.

Of the $31, $24 goes to Veterans Affairs, $2 to the tax collector, $2 to the state highway fund, $1 to Mississippi Burn Center, $1 to the State Tax Commission, $1 to Mississippi Dept of Archives and History.

“We have veterans in Mssissippi who are not entitled to receive social security benefits and they don’t have any other retirement income,” said Grice on Friday, “the fees from the HONoring VEterans license plates enable these indigent vets to stay in the Veterans Homes. otherwise they would not have enough money to pay the $66 per day charge for care. The money from the Honoring Veterans and the Veteran’s tag directly benefits needy, sick veterans needing nursing home care.”