An Act Creating A Special Motor Vehicle Number Plate In Recognition Of "the Borinqueneers".
Summary
HB 6724 creates a new commemorative motor vehicle number plate honoring “The Borinqueneers,” the primarily Puerto Rican members of the U.S. Army’s 65th Infantry Regiment. Beginning January 1, 2026, the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles must issue the special plates, with the design developed in consultation with Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut, Inc. The plates may be used only as official registration markers.
The bill sets a $60 fee for the commemorative plates, in addition to normal registration fees. Of that amount, $15 is retained by the Department of Motor Vehicles to cover production, issuance, renewal, and replacement costs, while $45 is deposited into a new nonlapsing “Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut” commemorative account. The bill also allows additional charges for certain personalized or low-number plates, and it authorizes the DMV to adopt regulations governing issuance and replacement. No extra fee is charged for renewal, and no transfer fee applies when moving an existing registration to or from these plates.
Impact
The bill would add a new special license plate program to Connecticut motor vehicle law and create a new dedicated account within the General Fund. It directs the flow of plate-fee revenue to support bilingual services and assistance for Connecticut veterans and service members through Hispanic-American Veterans of Connecticut, Inc., while also covering DMV administrative costs. The measure affects the Department of Motor Vehicles, the Office of Policy and Management, and the nonprofit organization named in the bill, and it takes effect January 1, 2026.
Sentiment
The available voting history shows strong committee support, with the Veterans’ and Military Affairs Committee voting 19-0 for a Joint Favorable report after earlier procedural votes to reserve the public hearing and to draft the bill. No transcript of debate is provided, but the unanimous committee vote suggests broad agreement with the bill’s commemorative purpose and its support for Hispanic-American veterans.
Contention
No explicit opposition appears in the provided materials, and there are no committee transcript excerpts showing debate. The only potentially sensitive issues are administrative and fiscal: the fee structure, the allocation of most proceeds to a nonprofit account, and the DMV’s authority to set plate design and regulations. Otherwise, the bill appears to have been noncontroversial in committee.