HB 5048 — AN ACT CONCERNING THE FEES FOR VETERANS' SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES.

(F) Iwo Jima Survivor plate;

(G) Korean War Veterans Association plate;

(H) Laos Veterans of America plate;

(I) Marine Corps League plate;

(J) Military Order of the Purple Heart plate;

(K) National Guard Association of Connecticut (active) plate;

(L) National Guard Association of Connecticut (retired) plate;

(M) Pearl Harbor 1941 Survivor plate;

(N) Second Company Governor's Foot Guard plate;

and (O) United States Submarine Veterans plate.

(c) On or after July 1, 2004, the commissioner may issue special certificatessHB5048 of/ registrationFile andNo. special number plates in accordance with the regulations adopted under subsection (a) of this section provided the commissioner may not issue a set of special number plates bearing the same numerals as any other plate issued by the department.

The224 commissioner5 maysHB5048 discontinueFile theNo. issuance of any such special number plates issued for a qualified organization, or special plates issued in accordance with the provisions of sections 14-19b and 14-21f to 14-21p, inclusive, at any time, upon written notice to the organization if, in the opinion of the commissioner, the demand for such plates is insufficient to support the costs of production.

(d)224 Notwithstandingcertificates the provisions of subdivisionregistration (4)and ofspecial subsectionnumber (a)plates ofin thisaccordance sectionwith andthe anyregulations regulation adopted thereunder,under insubdivision the(1) case of anyveteran,asdefinedinsection27-103,ormemberofthearmedforces,subsection as(a) definedof inthis saidsection section,provided whothe appliescommissioner formay anynot specialissue numbera plateset describedof inspecial subdivisionsnumber (1)plates tobearing (15),the inclusive,same ofnumerals thisas subsectionany andother whoiseligibletoapplyplate forsuchplate,thecommissionershallnotchargeissued aby fee for the following:department.

(1)The Connecticutcommissioner Armymay Nationaldiscontinue Guardthe Aviationissuance plate;of any suchspecialnumberplatesissuedforaqualifiedorganization,orspecial plates issued in accordance with the provisions of sections 14-19b and 14-21f to 14-21p, inclusive, at any time, upon written notice to the organizationif, intheopinionofthecommissioner,thedemandfor such plates is insufficient to support the costs of production.

(2) Disabled American Veterans plate;

(3) First Company Governor's Foot Guard plate;

(4) First Company Governor's Horse Guard plate;

(5) Greater Hartford Chapter of the Eighty-Second Airborne plate;

(6) Iwo Jima Survivor plate;

(7) Korean War Veterans Association plate;

(8) Laos Veterans of America plate;

(9) Marine Corps Leagueplate;(10)MilitaryOrderofthePurpleHeartplate;(11)National LCO No.

4806 5 of 6 Committee Bill No.

5048 Guard Association of Connecticut (active) plate;

(12) National Guard Association of Connecticut (retired) plate;

(13) Pearl Harbor 1941 Survivor plate;

(14) Second Company Governor's Foot Guard plate;

and (15) United States Submarine Veterans plate.

4 October 1, 2023 14-19a Statement of Purpose:Legislative Commissioners:

ToSection provide3(b)(2) certainwas veterans'rewritten specialty license plates to veterans for nointernal cost.consistency;

[Proposedand deletionsSection are4 enclosedwas inrewritten brackets.for consistency with standard drafting conventions.

ProposedVA additionsJoint areFavorable indicatedSubst. by underline, except underlined.]e entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not Co-Sponsors:

REP.sHB5048 / File No.

ZAWISTOWSKI,224 61st6 Dist.;sHB5048 File No.

REP.224 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

LANOUE,In 45thgeneral, Dist.fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

REP.Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

ZUPKUS,OFA 89thFiscal Dist.;Note State Impact:

REP.Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 24 $ FY 25 $ Department of Motor TF - Revenue Less than Less than Vehicles Loss 15,000 20,000 Policy & Mgmt., Off.

ACKERT,“Support 8thOur Dist.Approximately Approximately Troops!” 975 1,300 commemorative account (Non- lapsing GF) - Revenue Loss Note:

H.B.TF=Transportation Fund Municipal Impact:

5048,None 5144,Explanation 6002The LCObill No.makes several changes, beginning October 1, 2023, to the fees collected by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for different veterans' specialty plate, resulting in a Special Transportation Revenue loss of less than $20,000 annually.

4806Among 6the changes is a 50% reduction to the "Support Our Troops!" plate fee for veteran applicants, including the portion of 6the fee that is directed to the "Support Our Troops!" commemorative account.

The fee reduction in the bill is expected to result in an annual revenue loss of approximately $1,300 to this account.

The Out Years The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to the number of veterans' specialty license plates issued.

sHB5048 / File No.

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224 OLR Bill Analysis sHB 5048 AN ACT CONCERNING THE FEES FOR VETERANS' SPECIALTY LICENSE PLATES.

SUMMARY This bill makes the following changes to fees for veteran and military special license plates:

1.

reduces, from 100% to 50%, the amount of production costs that must be covered by the fee the motor vehicles commissioner sets for veteran (including specific wartime service) plates (§§ 1 & 2);

2.

reduces the fee for Support Our Troops! plates by 50%, from $60 to $30, for veterans and armed forces members (§ 3);

and 3.

requires that the fee charged to veterans and armed forces members by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) for specified, administratively created veterans and military organization plates be 50% of the fee set by regulation (§ 4).

The bill’s changes apply to the standard fee for the plates, with numbers and letters selected by DMV.

These fees are in addition to registration fees, and higher fees still apply for plate remakesand vanity plates, among other things.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

October 1, 2023 VETERANS LICENSE PLATES Under current law, DMV sets a fee (currently $27.50) for veteran license plates that must cover the entire cost of making any veteran or wartime service plate.

Under the bill, DMV must set a fee that covers half the cost of making the plates.

sHB5048 / File No.

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224 SUPPORT OUR TROOPS! PLATE Under current law, the fee for Support Our Troops! plates is $60, of which $15 is allocated to DMV for the cost of producing, issuing, renewing, and replacing these plates and $45 is allocated to Connecticut SupportOur Troops, Inc.

for programsto helptroops,familiesoftroops, and veterans.

The bill reduces the fee for veterans and armed forces members to $30, and the allocation to DMV and Support Our Troops, Inc.

to $7.50 and $22.50, respectively.

VETERAN ORGANIZATION PLATES By law, DMV has general authority to issue license plates on behalf of certain qualifying nonprofit organizations, including military and veteran organizations.

An applicant must (1) apply for these plates through the applicable organization, which sets the eligibility criteria and verifies the applicant’s eligibility and (2) pay a special fee, which the commissioner sets by regulation, for the initial plate (Conn.

Agency Regs.

§ 14-19a-1 et seq.).

The bill limits the standard fee DMV may charge veterans and active- duty armed forces members for specified, administratively created organization plates to 50% of the amount set in regulation (see table below).

Currently, the fee in regulations for bona fide members of the Purple Heart Association, Pearl Harbor Veteran’s Association, or any veterans’ organization is $10 (Conn.

Agencies Regs.

§ 14-19a-8).

Organization eligibility requirements for these plates may include paying a membership fee or a donation to the organization, the amount of which is determined by the organization and not within DMV’s purview.

Table:

Organization License Plates Eligible for Reduced Fee Connecticut Army National Guard Aviation Marine Corps League Disabled American Veterans Military Order of the Purple Heart First Company National Guard Association Governor’s Foot Guard of Connecticut (active) sHB5048 / File No.

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224 First Company National Guard Association Governor’s Horse Guard of Connecticut (retired) Greater Hartford Chapter of the Eighty-Second Airborne Pearl Harbor 1941 Survivor Second Company Iwo Jima Survivor Governor’s Foot Guard Korean War Veterans Association United States Submarine Veterans Laos Veterans of America BACKGROUND Definition of Veteran Under state law, a veteran is anyone who was honorably discharged, or released under honorable conditions, from active service in the United States armed forces.

This also includes anyone who was released fromactive service withanother thanhonorable (OTH)discharge based on a “qualifying condition.” A qualifying condition is a (1) post-traumatic stress disorder or traumatic brain injury diagnosis by a licensed health care professional at a U.S.

Department of Veterans Affairs facility, (2) military sexual trauma disclosed to such health care professional, or (3) determination by the Eligibility Qualifying Review Board that sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression was more likely than not the primary reason for the OTH discharge (CGS § 27-103).

COMMITTEE ACTION Veterans' and Military Affairs Committee Joint Favorable Substitute Yea 20 Nay 0 (03/07/2023) sHB5048 / File No.

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