2015 -- H 5516

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LC001449

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2015

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES - VETERANS' PLATES

     Introduced By: Representatives MacBeth, McLaughlin, Almeida, Azzinaro, and Slater

     Date Introduced: February 12, 2015

     Referred To: House Finance

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 31-3-53 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration

of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     31-3-53. Veterans' plates. -- (a) The registrar of motor vehicles shall issue for any motor

vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile, or for any motorcycle eligible for registration as

a motorcycle, or for a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds

(12,000 lbs.) or less, plates designated as "Veteran", "Purple Heart", and "Ex-POW" upon

application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles to

veterans. Gold Star parents shall also be eligible for plates designated as "Veteran".

      (b) The special plate designated "Veteran" shall be designed as follows;

      (1) Letters and numbers shall be blue in a white background with the words "Rhode

Island" clearly visible at the top center of the plate and the word "Veteran" visible at the bottom

center of the plate.

      (2) The background will be a red, white, and blue waving American Flag.

      (3) On the top right corner will be a decal with the military branch of the service in

which the Veteran served (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and

Gold Star Parent).

      (4) For war veterans, a white decal with blue letters with the words "War Veteran"

placed under the military branch decal on the right side of the plate above the validation sticker.

      (c) The applicant shall not be required to pay a service charge of twenty dollars ($20.00)

and or a transfer charge of five dollars ($5.00) for each plate.

      (d) The applicant shall be entitled to a plate for each vehicle owned by the applicant

upon payment of an additional service charge and/or transfer charge for each vehicle.

      (e) The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle and

having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less who is issued veteran

plates shall continue to pay the appropriate commercial registration fee for those plates. The

owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle having a gross weight

of six thousand three hundred pounds (6,300 lbs.) but not more than twelve thousand pounds

(12,000 lbs.) shall sign an affidavit at the time of application for said plates stating that the

vehicle is to be used for personal use only.

      (f) (1) For the purposes of this section, a "veteran" shall be defined as any person who

has served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States. The term "veteran" shall also

include members of the National Guard and Reserves: (i) Called to active duty authorized by the

President of the United States or the Secretary of Defense; or (ii) Who have twenty (20) years of

service with a letter and record of separation of service.

      (2) For the purposes of this section, "War Veteran" shall be defined as any veteran of any

conflict or undeclared war who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for service

in either a declared or undeclared war as noted on the war veteran's DD-214. Upon the death of

the holder of any veteran plates, the plates shall be transferred to the surviving spouse for the

spouse's lifetime until he or she remarries.

      (g) The "veteran" or "war veteran" described in subdivisions (f)(1)(i) or (ii) and (2) must

have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of this nation in order to receive plates

pursuant to this section and, for purposes of this section, a medical discharge or a general

discharge shall be deemed an honorable discharge.

      (h) For the purpose of this section, "Gold Star Parent" means a person who has lost a son

or a daughter as a result of service with the armed forces of the United States of America;

provided, the death was determined to be in the line of duty.

      (i) Veterans who have served in multiple conflicts are entitled to be issued veterans'

plates equal to the number of conflicts he or she served in; provided, the plates are limited to the

number of vehicles owned by the veteran.

      (j) A person shall be eligible for a veterans' plate if his or her deceased spouse was

eligible for a veterans' plate, notwithstanding the fact that the eligible, deceased spouse died prior

to the enactment of this section in 1988.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES - VETERANS' PLATES

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     This act would eliminate the service and transfer fees currently required to obtain or

transfer a "veteran" or "war veteran" license plate.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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LC001449

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