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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1695 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3460
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Andres X. Vargas
_________________
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 concerning an exemption from payment of municipal parking meter fees by Purple Heart
recipients.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Andres X. Vargas3rd Essex1/9/2023Alice Hanlon Peisch14th Norfolk2/2/2023Anne M. GobiWorcester and Hampshire2/2/2023Colleen M. Garry36th Middlesex2/8/2023Sean Garballey23rd Middlesex2/8/2023Patrick Joseph Kearney4th Plymouth2/16/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1695 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3460
By Representative Vargas of Haverhill, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 3460) of
Andres X. Vargas and others that the Registrar of Motor Vehicles establish a distinctive
registration placard to exempt Purple Heart recipients from payment of municipal parking meter
fees. Transportation.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act concerning an exemption from payment of municipal parking meter fees by Purple Heart
recipients.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 Chapter 90 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 2 the
2following subsection:-
3 Section 2 1/2. Purple Heart Vehicle Placards
4 (a) The registrar shall furnish without charge to owners of private passenger motor
5vehicles who are veterans as defined in said clause Forty-third of said section seven of said
6chapter four who have been awarded the Order of the Purple Heart and upon evidence deemed
7satisfactory by the registrar, distinctive registration placards bearing the words, ''ORDER OF
8THE PURPLE HEART RECIPIENT'' and the words ''COMBAT WOUNDED'' for one private
9passenger motor vehicle owned and principally used by such Purple Heart recipient or a
10distinctive emblem to be affixed to a ''VETERAN'' registration plate for a motorcycle or moped
11owned and principally used by such recipient; provided that the surviving spouse of a deceased 2 of 2
12recipient of the Purple Heart may elect to retain such distinctive registration placards or emblem
13for personal use upon payment of the established registration fee for private passenger motor
14vehicles or motorcycles and an additional annual twenty dollar fee until such time as such spouse
15remarries or fails to renew or cancels such registration.
16 (b) A person who is a recipient of the Purple Heart is exempt from the payment of
17municipal parking meter fees and Massachusetts State Parks when a Purple Heart recipient motor
18vehicle displays Purple Heart license plates or a placard issued by the Massachusetts Registry of
19Motor Vehicles, unless the vehicle has been parked in one location for more than 24 hours. The
20exemption provided under this subsection shall apply only when the recipient of the Purple Heart
21to whom the special license plates or placards have been issued is either the driver or a passenger
22of the motor vehicle and shall not apply when the motor vehicle is parked for more than 24 hours
23at one location where the motor vehicle is subject to a municipal parking meter fee.