HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1613        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2655

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John C. Velis

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act clarifying disabled veteran's motor vehicle-related tax and fee exemptions.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1613        FILED ON: 1/16/2019

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2655

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3353 OF 2017-2018.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-First General Court
(2019-2020)

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An Act clarifying disabled veteran's motor vehicle-related tax and fee exemptions.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Section 1 of Chapter 60A of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the following from lines 101 through 104:-

"by reason of service in the armed forces of the United States, has suffered loss, or permanent loss of use of, one or both feet, or loss, or permanent loss of use of, one or both hands, or has been determined by the medical advisory board established under section 8C of chapter 90 to be permanently disabled;"

and in place thereof inserting the following words:-

"suffers from a service-connected combined disability rating of 60% or more, provided that such a disability rating has been verified by said Administration with written documentation and the signature of a licensed Massachusetts physician, or who has been determined to be permanently disabled by the medical advisory board established under section 8C of chapter 90 and is eligible for a disabled veteran number plate under section 2 of said chapter 90;"

SECTION 2. Section 6, subsection (u) of Chapter 64H of the Massachusetts General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in lines 350-352 the following:

"and has been issued a disabled veteran number plate under section 2 of said chapter 90."

and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

"and is eligible for a disabled veteran number plate under section 2 of said chapter 90, or by and for the use of a veteran who, according to the records of the United States Veterans Administration, suffers from a service-connected combined disability rating of 60% or more, provided that such a disability rating has been verified by said Administration with written documentation and the signature of a licensed Massachusetts physician."

SECTION 3. Section 33(29) of chapter 90 is hereby amended by striking out the following words:-

"by a disabled veteran who is entitled to display thereon the distinctive number plates authorized by section 2"

and inserting in place thereof the following:-

"a veteran, as defined in section 7 of chapter 4, who according to the records of the United States Veterans Administration, suffers from a service-connected combined disability rating of 60% or more, provided that such a disability rating has been verified by said Administration with written documentation and the signature of a licensed Massachusetts physician, or who has been determined to be permanently disabled by the medical advisory board established under section 8C of chapter 90 and is eligible for a disabled veteran number plate under section 2 of said chapter 90,"

SECTION 4. Nothing herein shall be interpreted as amending the requirements set forth by the Medical Advisory Board of the Registry of Motor Vehicles to qualify for Disabled Veterans number plates as authorized in under section 2 of chapter 90.

SECTION 5. The exemptions herein shall apply to any disabled veteran who qualifies for disabled veteran number plates as determined by the Medical Advisory Board, even if they choose not to use said plates. It shall also apply to veterans who have documentation proving they suffer from a combined service-connected disability rating of 60% or more, as determined by the United States Veterans Administration, who do not go through the Medical Advisory Board process, as they do not have a specific handicap that would qualify them for disabled veteran number plates.

SECTION 6. The authority responsible for administering fees and taxes amended herein may govern the process by which an eligible disabled veteran applies for exemption, so long as such processes do not reasonably preclude eligible persons from applying and receiving said exemptions in a timely manner.

SECTION 7. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to mean that written documentation from the Veterans Administration must be verified by a doctor working at said Administration. Any signature from a licensed Massachusetts physician who would have reasonable knowledge that the Veteran's Administration documentation is true, shall have the authority to verify the disability rating.