Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting, after line 486, the following paragraph:-

The registrar shall furnish without charge to owners of private passenger motor vehicles who are veterans who participated in the early testing of atomic weapons, upon presentation of satisfactory evidence of such status as determined by the registrar, distinctive registration plates for one private passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by such veteran or a distinctive emblem to be affixed to a "VETERAN" registration plate for a motorcycle owned and principally used by such veteran.  The surviving spouse of a deceased veteran under this paragraph may elect to retain the distinctive registration plates or emblem for personal use upon payment of the established registration fee for private passenger motor vehicles or motorcycles and an additional $20 fee until such time as the spouse remarries, fails to renew or cancels the registration.