WEST virginia legislature

2024 regular session

ENROLLED

House Bill 5213

By Delegates Sheedy, Hillenbrand, Cooper, Winzenreid, Griffith, and Heckert

[Passed March 8, 2024; in effect ninety days from passage.]

AN ACT to amend and reenact §17-3-14b, the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, relating to providing for one free Gold Star Family license plate to a Gold Star spouse.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

ARTICLE 3. ORIGINAL AND RENEWAL OF REGISTRATION; ISSUANCE OF CERTIFICATES OF TITLE.

§17A-3-14b. Special registration plates for military personnel.

(a) The division may continue to issue special plates for any plate class authorized by enactments of §17A-3-14 of this code prior to the year 2023 for active, retired, or honorably discharged military personnel, or the next of kin of a member of any branch of the armed services of the United States killed in combat.  The division shall charge an initial application fee of $10 for each special registration plate issued pursuant to this section, which is in addition to all other fees required by this chapter. A surviving spouse may continue to use his or her deceased spouse’s military license plate until the surviving spouse dies, remarries, or does not renew the license plate.

(b) The applicant shall present documentation as determined by the commissioner as evidence of qualification for any plate authorized in this section.

(c) The division may issue a special registration plate pursuant to this section to any number of vehicles titled in the name of the applicant.

(d) If a new special plate as authorized in this section recognizes members of a military organization chartered by the United States Congress, the division may produce such plate upon receipt of a guarantee from the organization of a minimum of 100 applicants.

(e) A Gold star spouse shall be exempt from all registration fees otherwise required by the provisions of this chapter for the registration of one Gold Star Family license plate for personal use.  For purposes of this section, a “Gold star spouse” means a widow (remarried or not) or widower (remarried or not) of a veteran who is eligible to receive a gold star lapel pin under 10 U.S.C. § 1126 (or its successor).

The Clerk of the House of Delegates and the Clerk of the Senate hereby certify that the foregoing bill is correctly enrolled.

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Clerk of the House of Delegates

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Clerk of the Senate

Originated in the House of Delegates.

In effect ninety days from passage.

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Speaker of the House of Delegates

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President of the Senate

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The within is ................................................ this the...........................................

Day of ..........................................................................................................., 2024.

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Governor