Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2008 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the eighteenth paragraph the following paragraph:-

The registrar shall also furnish without charge to owners of private passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles who are on active duty in the armed forces and who received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, or Purple Heart a plate with an emblem representing the awarding of said Silver Star, Bronze Star, Distinguished Flying Cross, or Purple Heart upon presentation by the applicant of satisfactory evidence of receipt of such award, as determined by the registrar.  The surviving spouse of a deceased recipient may elect to retain the distinctive registration plate and distinctive emblem for personal use upon payment of the established registration fee for private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles and an additional annual $20 fee until such time as the spouse remarries or fails to renew or cancels the registration.