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HD 4740

An Act creating a Legion of Merit license plate

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Todd Smola

Creates a free Legion of Merit plate for eligible MA veterans; surviving spouses may keep the plate/emblem with standard fees plus a $20 annual fee.

Reported, referred to the committee on Joint Rules, reported, rules suspended and referred to the committee on Transportation
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Bill Summary · HD 4740

Summary: HD 4740 — An Act Creating a Legion of Merit License Plate

Purpose

This bill would create a new specialty license plate program honoring recipients of the Legion of Merit. It amends current Massachusetts vehicle registration law to authorize free issuance of designated plates or emblems for eligible veterans, and it establishes a modest ongoing fee for certain surviving spouses.

Key Provisions

  • The bill adds a new paragraph to Chapter 90, Section 2 (as amended). It requires the Registrar to:
    • Furnish, at no charge, distinctive registration plates bearing the words “LEGION OF MERIT RECIPIENT” to owners of private passenger vehicles who are veterans and have been awarded the Legion of Merit, upon satisfactory evidence.
    • Alternatively, provide a distinctive emblem to be affixed to a “VETERAN” registration plate for motorcycles owned and principally used by such recipients.
  • Surviving spouses: A deceased Legion of Merit recipient’s surviving spouse may elect to retain the distinctive plates or emblem for personal use, subject to:
    • Payment of the established registration fee for private passenger vehicles or motorcycles, and
    • An additional annual fee of $20, until the spouse remarries or fails to renew or cancels the registration.
  • Eligibility criteria reference veterans as defined in existing statute (the same definitional framework used for veterans in Chapter 4, Section 7, Clause Forty-Third).

Who Is Affected

  • Legion of Merit recipients who are Massachusetts veterans and own a private passenger vehicle or a motorcycle.
  • Surviving spouses of Legion of Merit recipients who wish to retain the distinctive plates or emblem after the recipient’s death.
  • Massachusetts Registrar of Vehicles (administrative implementer) and the broader vehicle registration system.

Financial and Administrative Impact

  • Recipients receive the plate at no charge.
  • Motorcycle use is accommodated via an emblem to be affixed to the existing Veteran plate.
  • Surviving spouses retain the option to keep the emblem/plate but incur:
    • the standard registration fee for the vehicle type, plus
    • an ongoing $20 annual fee until remarriage or renewal/cancellation changes.
  • No new ongoing charge to recipients is stated beyond the spouse fee structure.

Legislative Status and Timeline

  • Introduced May 29, 2025, and filed May 22, 2025.
  • Referred to the Committee on House Rules on May 29, 2025.
  • If advanced, the bill would require standard legislative approval and eventual signing to become law; implementation would follow the Registrar’s administrative rules.

Notes

  • The bill references the existing legal framework for veteran status and license plate issuance and would operate within the current Chapter 90 framework, as amended by Chapter 178 of the acts of 2024.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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