Connecticut 2025 Regular Session

Connecticut House Bill HB06734 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1
2	2
3		-	LCO 5713 1 of 6
4	3
5		-	General Assembly Corrected Copy
6		-	Committee Bill No. 6734
	4	+	LCO No. 5713 1 of 6
	5	+
	6	+	General Assembly Committee Bill No. 6734
7	7		January Session, 2025
8	8		LCO No. 5713
9	9
10	10
11		-	Referred to Committee on VETERANS' AND MILITARY
12		-	AFFAIRS
	11	+	Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
13	12
14	13
15	14		Introduced by:
16	15		(VA)
17	16
18	17
19	18
20	19		AN ACT REDUCING FOR VETERANS AND MEMBERS OF THE
21	20		ARMED FORCES THE FEE FOR CERTAIN SPECIALTY MOTOR
22	21		VEHICLE NUMBER PLATES TO NOT MORE THAN THE COST TO
23	22		MAKE SUCH PLATES.
24	23		Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
25	24		Assembly convened:
26	25
27	26		Section 1. Section 14-20b of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
28	27		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 2
29	28		(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any veteran 3
30	29		or member of the armed forces or the surviving spouse of such veteran 4
31	30		or member, shall register any motor vehicle owned or leased for a period 5
32	31		of at least one year by such person and shall issue a special certificate of 6
33	32		registration and a set of number plates for each such motor vehicle, 7
34	33		including a special certificate of registration and a set of number plates 8
35	34		for any motor vehicle used exclusively for farming purposes by any 9
36	35		such veteran or member of the armed forces, or the surviving spouse of 10
37	36		such veteran or member, who is engaged in agricultural production as 11
38		-	a trade or business. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided 12 Committee Bill No. 6734
39		-
40		-
41		-	LCO 5713 2 of 6
42		-
	37	+	a trade or business. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided 12
43	38		in section 14-22. The commissioner shall charge a fee for such plates, 13
44	39		which fee shall [cover] be not more than the entire cost of making such 14
45	40		plates and shall be in addition to the fee for registration of such motor 15
	41	+	Committee Bill No. 6734
	42	+
	43	+
	44	+	LCO No. 5713 2 of 6
	45	+
46	46		vehicle. The commissioner shall charge a fee of fifteen dollars to replace 16
47	47		such plates that become mutilated or illegible. Any such member of the 17
48	48		armed forces who is dishonorably discharged shall return such plates to 18
49	49		the commissioner not later than thirty days after such discharge. The 19
50	50		commissioner shall not renew such plates for any motor vehicle owned 20
51	51		or leased by any such member of the armed forces who is dishonorably 21
52	52		discharged. 22
53	53		(b) (1) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles, at the request of any 23
54	54		person who was a member of the Hmong Laotian special guerilla units, 24
55	55		which units served in the United States secret war in the Kingdom of 25
56	56		Laos during the Vietnam War, or any person who is an eligible former 26
57	57		reservist, or the surviving spouse of any such person, and after 27
58	58		verification from the Department of Veterans Affairs as provided under 28
59	59		subdivision (2) or (3), as applicable, of this subsection, shall register any 29
60	60		motor vehicle owned or leased for a period of at least one year by such 30
61	61		person and shall issue a special certificate of registration and a set of 31
62	62		number plates for each such motor vehicle, including a special certificate 32
63	63		of registration and a set of number plates for any motor vehicle used 33
64	64		exclusively for farming purposes by any such person, or the surviving 34
65	65		spouse of such person, who is engaged in agricultural production as a 35
66	66		trade or business. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided 36
67	67		in section 14-22. The commissioner shall charge a fee for such plates, 37
68	68		which fee shall [cover] be not more than the entire cost of making such 38
69	69		plates and shall be in addition to the fee for registration of such motor 39
70	70		vehicle. 40
71	71		(2) Any person who was a member of the Hmong Laotian special 41
72	72		guerilla units, or the surviving spouse of such person, may submit a 42
73	73		request to the Department of Veterans Affairs to be listed as a veteran, 43
74	74		based on such person's service during the Vietnam War, for the purpose 44
75	75		of obtaining a special certificate of registration and a set of number 45
76		-	plates under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such person, or the 46 Committee Bill No. 6734
	76	+	plates under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such person, or the 46
	77	+	surviving spouse of such person, shall provide to said department (A) 47
	78	+	an affidavit stating (i) when such person served, (ii) where such person 48
	79	+	Committee Bill No. 6734
77	80
78	81
79		-	LCO 5713 3 of 6
	82	+	LCO No. 5713 3 of 6
80	83
81		-	surviving spouse of such person, shall provide to said department (A) 47
82		-	an affidavit stating (i) when such person served, (ii) where such person 48
83	84		served, (iii) the unit in which such person served, and (iv) the capacity 49
84	85		in which such person served; (B) any available corroborating witness 50
85	86		affidavits; (C) any available official documentation of service; and (D) 51
86	87		any other documents supporting such person's or such surviving 52
87	88		spouse's affidavit. Said department shall, not later than thirty days after 53
88	89		receipt of such request, verify whether such person was a member of the 54
89	90		Hmong Laotian special guerilla units and, if so verified, notify the 55
90	91		Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of such request and verification. 56
91	92		(3) (A) Any person who is an eligible former reservist, or the 57
92	93		surviving spouse of such person, may submit a request to the 58
93	94		Department of Veterans Affairs to be listed as a veteran, based on such 59
94	95		person's service in a reserve component of the armed forces, for the 60
95	96		purpose of obtaining a special certificate of registration and a set of 61
96	97		number plates under subdivision (1) of this subsection. Such person, or 62
97	98		the surviving spouse of such person, shall provide to said department 63
98	99		all available official documentation of such service. Said department 64
99	100		shall, not later than thirty days after receipt of such request, verify such 65
100	101		person's service and, if so verified, notify the Commissioner of Motor 66
101	102		Vehicles of such request and verification. 67
102	103		(B) Notwithstanding the provisions of subdivision (1) of this 68
103	104		subsection or subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, neither the issuance 69
104	105		of such registration and number plates to a person by the Commissioner 70
105	106		of Motor Vehicles nor the listing of such person as a veteran by the 71
106	107		Commissioner of Veterans Affairs shall constitute proof of such person's 72
107	108		eligibility for any other benefit available to veterans. 73
108	109		(c) As used in this section, "eligible former reservist" means any 74
109	110		person honorably discharged from, released under honorable 75
110	111		conditions from or released with an other than honorable discharge 76
111	112		based on a qualifying condition from, the United States Army Reserve, 77
112	113		Army National Guard, Navy Reserve, Marine Corps Reserve, Coast 78
113		-	Guard Reserve, Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard; and "veteran", 79 Committee Bill No. 6734
	114	+	Guard Reserve, Air Force Reserve or Air National Guard; and "veteran", 79
	115	+	"armed forces" and "qualifying condition" have the same meanings as 80
	116	+	Committee Bill No. 6734
114	117
115	118
116		-	LCO 5713 4 of 6
	119	+	LCO No. 5713 4 of 6
117	120
118		-	"armed forces" and "qualifying condition" have the same meanings as 80
119	121		provided in section 27-103. 81
120	122		Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 14-20d of the general statutes is 82
121	123		repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 83
122	124		2025): 84
123	125		(b) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall, at the request of any 85
124	126		veteran or member of the armed forces who received a campaign medal, 86
125	127		issue special registration number plates to indicate service during a 87
126	128		period of war. Such plates shall bear the words "(Name of War) Veteran" 88
127	129		and shall be designed in consultation with the Commissioner of 89
128	130		Veterans Affairs. The plates shall expire and be renewed as provided in 90
129	131		section 14-22. The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall charge a fee for 91
130	132		such plates, which fee shall [cover] be not more than the entire cost of 92
131	133		making such plates and shall be in addition to the fee for registration of 93
132	134		such motor vehicle. No use shall be made of such plates except as official 94
133	135		registration number plates. 95
134	136		Sec. 3. Section 14-19a of the general statutes is repealed and the 96
135	137		following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2025): 97
136	138		(a) (1) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall adopt regulations 98
137	139		in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 to establish [(1)] (A) 99
138	140		standards for the issuance of a special certificate of registration and 100
139	141		special number plates to a member of an organization which qualifies 101
140	142		for issuance, [(2)] (B) qualifications of organizations whose members 102
141	143		wish to apply for such special registrations, [(3)] (C) procedures for 103
142	144		application for such special registration, and [(4)] (D) except as provided 104
143	145		in subdivision (2) of this subsection, a fee for such special number plates 105
144	146		which shall cover at least the entire cost of making the plates and which 106
145	147		shall be in addition to the fee for registration of the motor vehicle. The 107
146	148		regulations shall provide that a labor union shall be a qualifying 108
147	149		organization. 109
148	150		(2) In the case of any veteran or member of the armed forces, as those 110
149		-	terms are defined in section 27-103, who applies for any of the following 111 Committee Bill No. 6734
	151	+	terms are defined in section 27-103, who applies for any of the following 111
	152	+	Committee Bill No. 6734
150	153
151	154
152		-	LCO 5713 5 of 6
	155	+	LCO No. 5713 5 of 6
153	156
154	157		special number plates and who is eligible to apply for such plate, the fee 112
155	158		for such plate shall be not more than the entire cost of making such plate 113
156	159		and shall be in addition to the fee for registration of the motor vehicle: 114
157	160		(A) Disabled American Veterans plate; (B) Greater Hartford Chapter of 115
158	161		the Eighty-Second Airborne plate; (C) Iwo Jima Survivor plate; (D) 116
159	162		Korean War Veterans Association plate; (E) Laos Veterans of America 117
160	163		plate; (F) Marine Corps League plate; (G) Military Order of the Purple 118
161	164		Heart plate; (H) National Guard Association of Connecticut (active) 119
162	165		plate; (I) National Guard Association of Connecticut (retired) plate; (J) 120
163	166		Pearl Harbor 1941 Survivor plate; and (K) United States Submarine 121
164	167		Veterans plate. 122
165	168		(b) The Department of Motor Vehicles, in consultation with the Board 123
166	169		of Regents for Higher Education, shall adopt regulations, in accordance 124
167	170		with the provisions of chapter 54, to establish standards for the issuance 125
168	171		and renewal of collegiate special number plates with the logos or 126
169	172		emblems of Connecticut public and independent institutions of higher 127
170	173		education. 128
171	174		(c) On or after July 1, 2004, the commissioner may issue special 129
172	175		certificates of registration and special number plates in accordance with 130
173	176		the regulations adopted under subsection (a) of this section provided 131
174	177		the commissioner may not issue a set of special number plates bearing 132
175	178		the same numerals as any other plate issued by the department. The 133
176	179		commissioner may discontinue the issuance of any such special number 134
177	180		plates issued for a qualified organization, or special plates issued in 135
178	181		accordance with the provisions of sections 14-19b and 14-21f to 14-21p, 136
179	182		inclusive, at any time, upon written notice to the organization if, in the 137
180	183		opinion of the commissioner, the demand for such plates is insufficient 138
181	184		to support the costs of production. 139
182	185		This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
183	186		sections:
184	187
185	188		Section 1 July 1, 2025 14-20b
186	189		Sec. 2 July 1, 2025 14-20d(b)
187		-	~~Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 14-19a~~ Committee Bill No. 6734
	190	+	Committee Bill No. 6734
188	191
189	192
190		-	LCO 5713 6 of 6
	193	+	LCO No. 5713 6 of 6
191	194
	195	+	Sec. 3 July 1, 2025 14-19a
192	196
193		-	VA Joint Favorable
	197	+	Statement of Purpose:
	198	+	To reduce for veterans and members of the armed forces the fee for
	199	+	certain military-related specialty motor vehicle number plates to not
	200	+	more than the cost to make such plates.
	201	+
	202	+	[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
	203	+	that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
	204	+	underlined.]
	205	+
	206	+	Co-Sponsors: REP. FOSTER, 57th Dist.; REP. MARTINEZ, 22nd Dist.
	207	+	REP. GAUTHIER, 38th Dist.; REP. RYAN, 139th Dist.
	208	+
	209	+	H.B. 6734
	210	+
194	211