Amendment #4 to S1885

Valor Act

Mr. Donato of Medford moves to amend the bill by striking out section 20 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

“SECTION 20. Section 2E of said chapter 90, as so appearing, is hereby amended by adding the following subsections:-

(d) The registrar shall furnish, upon application, to the owner of a private passenger motor vehicle, a distinctive registration plate that shall display on its face the words “Supporting our Veterans” to honor men and women who have served in the armed forces of the United States and the armed forces of the commonwealth. There shall be a fee of not less than $50 for the plates in addition to the established registration fee for a private passenger motor vehicle, which shall be payable at the time of registration of the vehicle and at each renewal thereof.

The portion of the total remaining fee, after the deduction of costs directly attributable to the issuance of the plates, shall be deposited in a registry retained revenue account of which $10 from each registration shall be apportioned to the Disabled and Limbless Veterans, Inc to exercise apportionment to the following registered charities: Operation Troop Support with federal Employer Identification Number 20-8645838; Vietnam Veterans Workshop, Inc., doing business as New England Center for Homeless Veterans, with federal Employer Identification Number 04-3007211; and Fisher House of Boston, Inc. in West Roxbury with federal Employer Identification Number 26-0190895.  Of the remaining portion of the fee, there shall be an application process designed and administered by the secretary of the department of veterans’ services to distribute the funds once during each fiscal year for the purpose of administering grants to programs or organizations that fund additional services or conduct research relative to, including, but not limited to, the following: (i) veterans’ mental health and substance abuse; (ii) veterans’ housing and homelessness; (iii) veterans’ health care; (iv) veterans’ disability benefits; (v) long-term care of veterans; (vi) veteran employment and employment training; (vii) veterans’ education; and (viii) Gold Star family support. Funds expended from this account shall be authorized by a 3-member funding authorization committee. The committee shall consist of the secretary of the department of veterans’ services, who shall serve as the chairperson of the committee, and 2 members appointed by the governor, 1 of whom shall be a member of the Governor’s Advisory Council on Veterans’ Services and 1 of whom shall be a veteran representative of the public with no financial interest in funding programs and services. No member of the legislature shall serve on the committee. Any entity awarded funds pursuant to this section, in any fiscal year, shall not be eligible for funding for the next 2 subsequent fiscal years, provided however, that an entity awarded funding pursuant to this section shall be eligible for funding in subsequent fiscal years if no other program or organization submits a qualifying application.

(e) The registrar shall furnish, without charge, a “Supporting our Veterans” distinctive registration plate to any veteran who has been determined to have a service-connected disability rating of 100 per cent or greater by reason of service in the armed forces of the United States.”

and by adding the following section:-

“SECTION X.  The registrar of motor vehicles shall furnish, for a fee of $40 including any renewal fee, a “Supporting our Veterans” distinctive registration plate to those owners of private passenger vehicles who, prior to the effective date of this act, initiated the process of payment for a “Supporting our Veterans” license plate by sending payment to an organization proposing such a plate, and who has posted a bond to secure the issuance of such a plate, pursuant to section 2F of chapter 90 of the General Laws.  The registrar shall furnish to those owners pursuant to this section any plate numbers requested by the owners prior to the effective date of this act.”