An Act to repeal § 46.2-746.22 of the Code of Virginia and Chapter 235 of the Acts of Assembly of 2007, relating to special license plates; Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee.
HB1344 repeals the Virginia statute and a 2007 enactment that authorized special license plates for the Sons of Confederate Veterans and for Robert E. Lee. The bill removes the legal authority for issuing those plates going forward.
The measure also provides a transition rule for plates already issued under the repealed provisions: existing plates remain valid until they expire, but they may not be renewed after expiration. In effect, the bill phases out the specialty plates rather than invalidating them immediately.
This bill amends the Code of Virginia by repealing § 46.2-746.22 and Chapter 235 of the Acts of Assembly of 2007, eliminating the statutory basis for Confederate-related specialty license plates. It affects the Department of Motor Vehicles’ authority to issue and renew those plates and impacts current plate holders by allowing continued use only until expiration, after which renewal is barred.
Based on the bill text and the absence of recorded committee debate or votes in the provided materials, the overall sentiment appears to be straightforward and administrative rather than heavily contested in the available record. The enacted chapter text suggests the bill ultimately passed and was approved, indicating sufficient legislative support to move forward.
The main point of contention likely centers on the symbolic nature of the plates, particularly the references to the Sons of Confederate Veterans and Robert E. Lee, which can raise concerns about Confederate commemoration in public programs. Supporters of repeal would view the bill as ending state involvement with those symbols, while opponents might object to eliminating a long-standing specialty plate option for current holders and supporters of heritage organizations. No specific committee arguments or vote splits were provided, so the precise lines of debate are not documented here.