SECTION 1.  Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following paragraph:-

The registrar shall furnish, upon application, to owners of private passenger motor vehicles who are active members, members retired in good standing, or the immediate family member of a firefighter killed in the line of duty, distinctive registration plates which shall display on their face a Maltese cross indicating their status as firefighters.  No such plate shall be issued or renewed until proper certification has been made to the registrar by the chief of the fire department in which the applicant serves.  There shall be a $20 fee for the plate in addition to the established registration fee for passenger motor vehicles which shall be transferred in equal proportion to the Massachusetts Firefighters Academy Trust Fund established pursuant to section 165A of chapter 6, and the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial Trust Fund described in section 2F of this chapter.

SECTION 2.  Notwithstanding any driving ban imposed by the commonwealth or any municipality, in a state of emergency, any active member of a fire department driving a vehicle bearing the distinctive registration plate shall be authorized and empowered to travel upon state highways in accordance with their official duties.