West Virginia Legislature

2016 Regular Session

Introduced

House Bill 2433

2015 Carryover

(By Delegates P. Smith, Rodighiero, Rowan, Trecost, Campbell, Lynch, Longstreth, Rowe and Ferro)

[Introduced January 13, 2016; referred to the

Committee on Roads and Transportation then Finance.]

A BILL to amend of the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, by adding thereto a new section, designated §17A-3-14a, relating to authorizing the Division of Motor Vehicles to issue special license plates for applicants who are hearing impaired;  establishing requirements for eligibility; and specifying fees.

Be it enacted by the Legislature of West Virginia:

That the Code of West Virginia, 1931, as amended, be amended by adding thereto a new section, designated §17A-3-14a, to read as follows:

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

§17A-3-14a.  Issuance of special plates for persons who are hearing impaired.

(a) Notwithstanding the limitations contained in section fourteen of this article, the division may issue special registration plates for persons who are hearing impaired as certified by a licensed physician or an audiologist certified by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.

(b) Upon appropriate application, the division may issue a special registration plate designed by the commissioner for any number of vehicles titled in the name of the qualified applicant.

(c) The division shall charge a special initial application fee of $10 in addition to all other fees required by law.  This special fee shall be collected by the division and deposited in the State Road Fund.

(d) An annual fee of $15 shall be charged for each plate in addition to all other fees required by this chapter.

(e) The provisions of subsections (a), (b), (g), (h) and (i) of section fourteen of this article apply in the issuance of plates under this section.

(f) The minimum number of applications requirements of subsection (d), section fourteen of this article are not applicable for the issuance of the special license plates designated by this section.

NOTE:  The purpose of this bill is to allow the Division of Motor Vehicles to issue special license plates for the hearing impaired. The bill also exempts this plate from the minimum number of applications requirements.

  This section is new; therefore, it has been completely underscored.