SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1912        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2332

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_________________

PRESENTED BY:

Adam Gomez

_________________

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 relative to registration fees for veterans' license plates.

_______________

PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1912        FILED ON: 2/18/2021

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 2332

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

_______________

In the One Hundred and Ninety-Second General Court
(2021-2022)

_______________

An Act relative to registration fees for veterans' license plates.

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. Chapter 29 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2KKKKK, as inserted by section 1 of chapter 254 of the acts of 2020, the following section:-

Section 2LLLLL. There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Soldiers’ Home Trust Fund, hereafter referred to as the fund. There shall be credited to said fund revenues received from the sale and renewal of “VETERAN” distinctive registration plates and interest earnings thereon issued pursuant to subsection (e) of section 2E of chapter 90. Amounts credit to the fund that are unexpended at the end of a fiscal year shall not revert to the General Fund.

The fund shall be administered by the board of trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the board of trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts for the benefit of said Homes; provided, that said boards of trustees may expend monies from the fund for the benefit of said Homes without further appropriation.

The registrar of motor vehicles shall deposit all revenue received pursuant to said subsection (e) of said section 2E of said chapter 90 for the sale and renewal of “VETERAN” registration plates into the fund. Annually, not later than October 1, the board of trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Holyoke and the board of trustees of the Soldiers’ Home in Massachusetts shall report to the clerks of the house of representatives and the senate, the joint committee on transportation and the joint committee on veterans’ affairs on the fund’s activity.

SECTION 2. Section 2 of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 218, the words “annual twenty dollar fee” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $20 fee every 2 years.

SECTION 3. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 429, the words “annual twenty dollar fee” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $20 fee every 2 years.

SECTION 4. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, in line 463, after the word “VETERAN”, the following words:- ; provided, that the registration fee for private passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles with such “VETERAN” plates shall not exceed $10.

SECTION 5. The fifteenth paragraph of said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence.

SECTION 6. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 485, the words “annual twenty dollar fee” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $20 fee every 2 years.

SECTION 7. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 498, the words “annual twenty dollar fee” and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $20 fee every 2 years.

SECTION 8. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by inserting, after the word “fee”, in line 518, the following words:- every 2 years.

SECTION 9. Said section 2 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out, in line 550, the word “annual $20 fee”, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- $20 fee every 2 years.

SECTION 10. Section 2E of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:-

(e) The registrar shall furnish, upon application and pursuant to section 2, to owners of private passenger motor vehicles and motorcycles who are veterans, as defined in clause Forty-third of section 7 of chapter 4 and upon presentation of evidence deemed satisfactory by the registrar, distinctive registration plates bearing on the left side the word “VETERAN”. There shall be a fee of not more than $40 for such plates, in addition to the $10 registration fee for private passenger motor vehicles with “VETERAN” plates as provided in section 2, which shall be payable at the time of registration of the vehicle and at each renewal thereof. The portion of the total fee remaining after the deduction of costs directly attributable to the issuance of such plates shall be directed to the Soldiers’ Home Trust Fund established in section 2LLLLL of chapter 29; provided, that such portion shall be not less than $28 of the fee.

SECTION 11. Section 33 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by striking out, in line 7, the words “ two years”, and inserting in place thereof the following words:- 2 years; and, provided further, that the registration fee for motor vehicles with “VETERAN” plates shall not exceed $10.

SECTION 12. Said section 33 of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking out clause (22) and inserting in place thereof the following clause:-

(22) No fee shall be exacted for the registration of a private passenger vehicle owned and principally used by the following persons who are entitled to display thereon distinctive number plates as authorized by section 2:

(i) former prisoners of war; (ii) members of the Legion of Valor of the United States of America, Inc.; (iii) disabled veterans; (iv) recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor; (v) awardees of the Iraqi Freedom Campaign Ribbon; (vi) recipients of the Purple Heart; (vii) survivors of the attack on Pearl Harbor; or (viii) recipients of the Silver Star, Bronze Star or Distinguished Flying Cross. Said registration shall be renewed every 2 years without charge.

SECTION 13. Said section 33 of said chapter 90 is hereby further amended by striking out clause (33).