2016 -- H 7291 | |
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LC004058 | |
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STATE OF RHODE ISLAND | |
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY | |
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2016 | |
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A N A C T | |
RELATING TO MOTOR VEHICLES - VETERANS' PLATES | |
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Introduced By: Representatives MacBeth, McLaughlin, Azzinaro, and Lancia | |
Date Introduced: January 22, 2016 | |
Referred To: House Finance | |
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows: | |
1 | SECTION 1. Section 31-3-53 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration |
2 | of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows: |
3 | 31-3-53. Veterans' plates. -- (a) The registrar of motor vehicles shall issue for any motor |
4 | vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile, or for any motorcycle eligible for registration as |
5 | a motorcycle, or for a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds |
6 | (12,000 lbs.) or less, plates designated as "Veteran", "Purple Heart", and "Ex-POW" upon |
7 | application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor vehicles to |
8 | veterans. Gold Star parents shall also be eligible for plates designated as "Veteran". |
9 | (b) The special plate designated "Veteran" shall be designed as follows; |
10 | (1) Letters and numbers shall be blue in a white background with the words "Rhode |
11 | Island" clearly visible at the top center of the plate and the word "Veteran" visible at the bottom |
12 | center of the plate. |
13 | (2) The background will be a red, white, and blue waving American Flag. |
14 | (3) On the top right corner will be a decal with the military branch of the service in |
15 | which the Veteran served (Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and |
16 | Gold Star Parent). |
17 | (4) For war veterans, a white decal with blue letters with the words "War Veteran" |
18 | placed under the military branch decal on the right side of the plate above the validation sticker. |
19 | (c) The applicant shall not be required to pay a service charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) |
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1 | and or a transfer charge of five dollars ($5.00) for each plate. |
2 | (d) The applicant shall be entitled to a plate for each vehicle owned by the applicant |
3 | upon payment of an additional service charge and/or transfer charge for each vehicle. |
4 | (e) The owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle and |
5 | having a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less who is issued veteran |
6 | plates shall continue to pay the appropriate commercial registration fee for those plates. The |
7 | owner of a motor vehicle eligible for registration as a commercial vehicle having a gross weight |
8 | of six thousand three hundred pounds (6,300 lbs.) but not more than twelve thousand pounds |
9 | (12,000 lbs.) shall sign an affidavit at the time of application for said plates stating that the |
10 | vehicle is to be used for personal use only. |
11 | (f) (1) For the purposes of this section, a "veteran" shall be defined as any person who |
12 | has served on active duty in the armed forces of the United States. The term "veteran" shall also |
13 | include members of the National Guard and Reserves: (i) Called to active duty authorized by the |
14 | President of the United States or the Secretary of Defense; or (ii) Who have twenty (20) years of |
15 | service with a letter and record of separation of service. |
16 | (2) For the purposes of this section, "War Veteran" shall be defined as any veteran of any |
17 | conflict or undeclared war who has earned a campaign ribbon or expeditionary medal for service |
18 | in either a declared or undeclared war as noted on the war veteran's DD-214. Upon the death of |
19 | the holder of any veteran plates, the plates shall be transferred to the surviving spouse for the |
20 | spouse's lifetime until he or she remarries. |
21 | (g) The "veteran" or "war veteran" described in subdivisions (f)(1)(i) or (ii) and (2) must |
22 | have been honorably discharged from the armed forces of this nation in order to receive plates |
23 | pursuant to this section and, for purposes of this section, a medical discharge or a general |
24 | discharge shall be deemed an honorable discharge. |
25 | (h) For the purpose of this section, "Gold Star Parent" means a person who has lost a son |
26 | or a daughter as a result of service with the armed forces of the United States of America; |
27 | provided, the death was determined to be in the line of duty. |
28 | (i) Veterans who have served in multiple conflicts are entitled to be issued veterans' |
29 | plates equal to the number of conflicts he or she served in; provided, the plates are limited to the |
30 | number of vehicles owned by the veteran. |
31 | (j) A person shall be eligible for a veterans' plate if his or her deceased spouse was |
32 | eligible for a veterans' plate, notwithstanding the fact that the eligible, deceased spouse died prior |
33 | to the enactment of this section in 1988. |
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1 | 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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1 | This act would eliminate the service and transfer fees currently required to obtain or |
2 | transfer a "veteran" or "war veteran" license plate. |
3 | This act would take effect upon passage. |
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LC004058 | |
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