An Act to authorize Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial motorcycle license plates

194th Legislature (2025-2026) Introduced by Vanna Howard and 1 co-sponsor

Creates a Firefighters Memorial Motorcycle Plate, with $28 of the $40 fee funding the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial and $12 for manufacturing.

Purpose

Create a special, distinctive motorcycle license plate to honor fallen Massachusetts firefighters, modeled on the existing Firefighters Memorial Plate for automobiles (established in 2006).

Direct a portion of plate revenues to fund the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial and its statewide exhibit at Ashburton Park near the Massachusetts State House.

Key Provisions

New license plate authority (Section 6D added to Chapter 90):

The Registrar of Motor Vehicles may issue a special Firefighters Memorial Motorcycle License Plate for privately owned motorcycles.
The plate issuance and renewal follow the same process as other special plates and are funded by the standard special-plate fee described in section 33.

Fee structure and allocations:

The required total special plate fee is $40.
Of that $40, $28 is dedicated to supporting the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial.
$12 goes to MassDOT to cover manufacturing costs for the plate.

Funding and administration:

Revenues from issuance/renewal are collected by the Registrar.
Funds support the statewide memorial located at Ashburton Park at the Massachusetts State House.
The memorial is coordinated by the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial charitable organization, a non-profit 501(c)(3), in accordance with section 2f(c).

Designation:

This act is to be known as the Dave Condon Firefighter Memorial License Plate Act.

Affected Parties

Motorcyclists in Massachusetts who choose to obtain the Firefighters Memorial Motorcycle Plate.

MassDOT (Massachusetts Department of Transportation) for manufacturing and administration of the plate.

Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial nonprofit (501(c)(3)) for coordination and administration of the statewide memorial and related activities.

The statewide memorial site at Ashburton Park, Massachusetts State House, funded by plate revenues.

Procedural and Timeline Considerations

The bill is a proposed measure in the 2025-2026 General Court session.

The text references insertion of a new Section 6D into Chapter 90 and formal recognition as the Dave Condon Firefighter Memorial License Plate Act.

Specific implementation timelines (e.g., effective date after enactment, issuance start date) are not provided in the excerpt.

Additional Context

The bill mirrors the structure of the existing Firefighters Memorial Plate for automobiles (2006) but extends the honoring mechanism to privately owned motorcycles.

The act emphasizes a nonprofit coordination model for memorial oversight and ongoing fundraising.

This summary captures the bill’s core intent, major provisions, responsible entities, and the fiscal/administrative framework set forth for funding the Massachusetts Fallen Firefighter Memorial through motorcycle license plate revenues.

Bill