2023 -- H 5265
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LC000833
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S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
Introduced By: Representatives Azzinaro, Solomon, Serpa, Casimiro, Corvese, Casey,
Vella-Wilkinson, and Abney
Date Introduced: January 27, 2023
Referred To: House Special Legislation
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Sections 31-3-46, 31-3-48, 31-3-48.1, 31-3-48.2 and 31-3-62 of the General 1
Laws in Chapter 31-3 entitled "Registration of Vehicles" are hereby amended to read as follows: 2
31-3-46. P.O.W. plates. 3
The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall issue plates designated as “Ex-4
P.O.W.” upon application on proper forms furnished by the administrator of the division of motor 5
vehicles to former prisoners of war (P.O.W.) of World Wars I and II, the Korean conflict, and 6
Vietnam conflict. The plates may be issued for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an 7
automobile, or a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of ten thousand pounds (10,000 lbs) 8
twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less. The applicant shall not be required to pay a 9
registration fee or service charge for the plate. Upon the death of the holder of any P.O.W. plates, 10
the plates shall be transferred to his or her surviving spouse for the spouse’s lifetime until he or she 11
remarries. 12
31-3-48. Plates for recipients of Purple Heart. 13
(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available to 14
recipients of the Purple Heart Medal up to two (2) sets of special motor vehicle registration plates 15
for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile or commercial vehicle having a 16
gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less, indicating the owner as a recipient of 17
the Purple Heart. 18
(b) The plate shall contain the words “combat wounded” across the top of the plate and 19
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shall have an insignia for the Purple Heart and be followed by the letters “P H”, followed by a 1
numeral or numerals. The Purple Heart insignia may be reproduced on the plate in the color purple. 2
(c) Upon the death of the holder of any Purple Heart plates, the plates shall be transferred 3
to his or her surviving spouse for the spouse’s lifetime until he or she remarries. 4
(d) The applicant is not required to pay a registration fee or service charge for the plates. 5
(e) Upon the death of the holder of any Purple Heart plates, if there is no surviving spouse, 6
a family member of the recipient may retain one of the special motor vehicle registration plates in 7
his or her own keeping, provided he or she does not display the plate upon any motor vehicle or 8
any other form of transportation owned or operated by the family member. The other Purple Heart 9
plate must be returned to the division of motor vehicles. 10
(f) Any violation of the provisions of subsection (e) of this section shall be deemed a civil 11
violation, and any person displaying a special motor vehicle registration plate upon any vehicle 12
shall, upon conviction, be fined five hundred dollars ($500) for each offense. Each day in which 13
the special motor vehicle registration plate is displayed upon any vehicle shall be a separate offense 14
punishable by the same penalty. 15
31-3-48.1. Plates for recipients of Distinguished Service Cross. 16
(a) The administrator of motor vehicles is empowered to make available to recipients of 17
the United States Army Distinguished Service Cross medal a special motor vehicle registration 18
plate for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile or commercial vehicle having 19
a gross weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less, indicating the owner as a recipient 20
of the distinguished service cross. The applicant shall be required to pay a registration fee and a 21
transfer charge of five dollars ($5.00) for the plate. 22
(b) The plate shall contain the words “Distinguished Service Cross” across the top of the 23
plate, shall bear an insignia for the distinguished service cross, and then a numeral or numerals. 24
(c) Upon the death of the holder of any “Distinguished Service Cross” plate, the plate shall 25
be transferred to the surviving spouse for the spouse’s lifetime or until remarriage. 26
31-3-48.2. Plates for recipients of the Bronze Star Medal. 27
(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered to make available to 28
recipients of the United States Bronze Star Medal a special motor vehicle registration plate for any 29
motor vehicle eligible for registration as an automobile or commercial vehicle having a gross 30
weight of twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less, indicating the owner as a recipient of the 31
Bronze Star Medal. The applicant shall be required to pay a registration fee and a transfer charge 32
of five dollars ($5.00) for the plate. 33
(b) The plate shall contain the words “Bronze Star Medal” across the top of the plate, shall 34
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bear an insignia for the Bronze Star Medal, and then a numeral or numerals. 1
(c) Upon the death of the holder of any “Bronze Star Medal” plate, the plate shall be 2
transferred to the surviving spouse for the spouse’s lifetime or until remarriage. 3
31-3-62. National guard plates. 4
(a) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles is empowered and authorized to 5
make available to all active and retired members of the Rhode Island army and air national guard a 6
special motor vehicle registration plate for any motor vehicle eligible for registration as an 7
automobile or a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of eight thousand-five hundred pounds 8
(8,500 lbs.) twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less. 9
(b) The special motor vehicle registration plate shall carry on it the designation “National 10
Guard” and shall also carry on it an emblem on the left-hand side of the plate to be designed and 11
provided by the office of the adjutant general, with the numerals to the right of it. 12
(c) The administrator of the division of motor vehicles shall issue the plate upon the 13
payment of a service charge of twenty dollars ($20.00) and a transfer charge of five dollars ($5.00) 14
for the plate. All revenues shall be deposited as general revenues. 15
(d) For the purposes of this section an active or retired member of the Rhode Island army 16
and air national guard shall be defined as any person certified by the adjutant general as currently 17
serving or having retired under honorable conditions in either the Rhode Island army or air national 18
guard. 19
(e) In a state of emergency, any active member of the army or air national guard driving a 20
vehicle bearing the special motor vehicle registration plate shall be authorized and empowered to 21
travel upon the highways of the state notwithstanding any driving ban imposed by any state or 22
municipal authority. 23
SECTION 2. Section 31-6-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 31-6 entitled "Registration 24
Fees" is hereby amended to read as follows: 25
31-6-8. Disabled veterans. 26
(a) Any veteran who has been honorably discharged from the service of the armed forces 27
or the merchant marine of the United States in any of the wars or campaigns in which the United 28
States has been engaged and who, while engaged in these wars or campaigns or as a result of 29
engagement in these wars or campaigns, by reason of amputation, has lost one or both of his or her 30
arms, hands, feet, or legs, or who, by reason of other permanent injury, has lost the use of one or 31
both of his or her arms, hands, feet, or legs, or to whom has been granted a motor vehicle under 32
chapter 870-2D, United States Public Laws 663, enacted 1946, 79th Congress, or has suitable 33
documentation from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to establish that the veteran: 34
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(1) Has a combined service connected disability rating of one hundred percent (100%); or 1
(2) Is considered “individually unemployable” due to his or her service-connected 2
disability, shall be exempt from the payment of any fee for the annual registration of and a license 3
to operate that motor vehicle. 4
(b) The administrator for the division of motor vehicles shall issue to an eligible veteran 5
for use on an automobile, or on a commercial vehicle having a gross weight of six thousand three 6
hundred pounds (6,300 lbs.) twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) or less, registration plates 7
designated “Disabled Veteran.” Upon the death of the holder of “Disabled Veteran” plates, the 8
plates may be transferred to his or her surviving spouse for his or her lifetime or until he or she 9
remarries. Only one set of “Disabled Veteran” plates shall be issued to an eligible veteran and only 10
after certification of eligibility from the Veterans’ Administration or other satisfactory 11
documentation of eligibility is presented. 12
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 13
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO MOTOR AN D OTHER VEHICLES -- REGISTRATION OF VEHICLES
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This act would increase the weight limit of those vehicles which are registerable with 1
prisoner of war plates, Purple Heart plates, Distinguished Service Cross plates, Bronze Star Medal 2
plates, National Guard plates or disabled veterans’ plates to twelve thousand pounds (12,000 lbs.) 3
and would apply to any vehicle registerable as an automobile or commercial vehicle. 4
This act would take effect upon passage. 5
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