Chapter 137
2015 -- S 0071 SUBSTITUTE B
Enacted 06/29/2015

A N   A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AND OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES

Introduced By: Senator V. Susan Sosnowski
Date Introduced: January 13, 2015

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Section 31-3-48 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration
of Vehicles" is hereby amended to read as follows:
     31-3-48. Plates for recipients of Purple Heart. -- (a) The administrator of the division
of motor vehicles is empowered to make available to recipients of the Purple Heart Medal a
special motor vehicle registration plate indicating the owner as a recipient of the Purple Heart.
      (b) The plate shall contain the words "combat wounded" across the top of the plate and
shall have an insignia for the Purple Heart and be followed by the letters "P H", followed by a
numeral or numerals. The Purple Heart insignia may be reproduced on the plate in the color
purple.
      (c) Upon the death of the holder of any purple heart plates, the plates shall be transferred
to his or her surviving spouse for the spouse's lifetime until he or she remarries.
      (d) The applicant is not required to pay a registration fee or service charge for the plates.
     (e) Upon the death of the holder of any purple heart plates, if there is no surviving
spouse, a family member of the recipient may retain one of the special motor vehicle registration
plates in his or her own keeping, provided he or she does not display the plate upon any motor
vehicle or any other form of transportation owned or operated by the family member. The other
purple heart plate must be returned to the division of motor vehicles.
     (f) Any violation of the provisions of subsection (e) of this section shall be deemed a civil
violation, and any person displaying a special motor vehicle registration plate upon any vehicle
shall, upon conviction, be fined five hundred dollars ($500) for each offense. Each day in which
the special motor vehicle registration plate is displayed upon any vehicle shall be a separate
offense punishable by the same penalty.
     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC000112/SUB B
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