SB 271 - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0446
06/08
SENATE BILL 271
SPONSORS: Sen. Ricciardi, Dist 9; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Rochefort, Dist 1; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. Pearl, Dist 17; Sen. Reardon, Dist 15; Sen. Sullivan, Dist 18; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Murphy, Dist 16; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Rep. Rombeau, Hills. 2; Rep. L. Foxx, Hills. 2
COMMITTEE: Transportation
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ANALYSIS
This bill broadens the eligibility criteria for special numbered plates for veterans and special veteran designations on driver's license to include not only those veterans defined in RSA 21:50, I(a) but also those who received a general discharge under honorable conditions.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0446
06/08
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Number Plates; Special Number Plates for Veterans. Amend RSA 261:87-b, I to read as follows:
I. The director is hereby authorized to issue special number plates to be used on motor vehicles owned by veterans of the United States armed services, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined by the commissioner, and shall be distinct from the design or designs of those plates issued under RSA 261:86. Such plates shall be issued [only] to veterans as defined in RSA 21:50, I(a) and veterans discharged or released from duty in the United States armed forces with a general discharge under honorable conditions upon application, proof of veteran status in a form authorized by RSA 21:50, I(b), and payment of the regular motor vehicle registration fee and the $4 per plate fees under RSA 261:75. The director shall also issue such plates to any person providing proof of honorable discharge from the armed services of any nation allied with the United States during World War II and proof of such person's service during World War II. Renewals of such special number plates shall be charged the fee assessed for standard motor vehicles as prescribed under RSA 261:141. The plates furnished pursuant to this section are non-transferable, except that the surviving spouse may use the plates indefinitely after the death of the veteran until the date that the surviving spouse remarries.
2 Form of License. Amend RSA 263:40, I to read as follows:
I. The commissioner shall, upon payment of the required fee, issue to every applicant a driver's license subject to such conditions as the commissioner may deem expedient and in such form as the commissioner may prescribe. Licenses issued to persons under the age of 21 shall be designed so that their horizontal and vertical axes are opposite the horizontal and vertical axes of licenses issued to other persons, and said licenses shall prominently display the date on which the licensee shall attain the age of 21 years. Consistent with RSA 263:14, the youth operator license shall expire on the 21st anniversary of the applicant's date of birth, at which time the applicant shall be issued a traditional license. The license shall bear thereon a distinguishing number assigned to the licensee and an instant full-face photograph, image, or likeness of the licensee. There shall also be provided a space wherein the licensee may indicate his or her [honorable] veteran's status for purposes of identification for receiving benefits and services under New Hampshire law if the licensee so desires. The license shall bear a special designation or symbol indicating [honorable] veteran's status for licensees who indicate such veteran status. The driver's license card shall bear an approved security marking indicating that it was not issued in compliance with Public Law 109-13 and is therefore not acceptable for federal identification purposes.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
| Date | Body | Type |
|---|---|---|
| Feb. 18, 2025 | Senate | Hearing |
| March 6, 2025 | Senate | Floor Vote |
March 6, 2025: Ought to Pass: MA, VV; OT3rdg; 03/06/2025; SJ 6
Feb. 24, 2025: Committee Report: Ought to Pass, 03/06/2025, Vote 5-0; SC 11
Feb. 12, 2025: Hearing: 02/18/2025, Room 101, LOB, 02:15 pm; SC 10
Jan. 23, 2025: Introduced 01/09/2025 and Referred to Transportation; SJ 3