To create a special license plate for 100% disabled veterans
Summary
House Bill 2137 would amend West Virginia’s vehicle registration law to authorize the Division of Motor Vehicles to create and issue a special license plate for 100% disabled veterans. The plate would be available upon application for vehicles titled in the qualified applicant’s name, and the design would be determined by the commissioner. The bill also states that there would be no minimum number of applications required before the plate could be designed and produced.
The bill sets a $10 initial application fee and a $15 annual fee for each special plate, in addition to other existing registration fees. The initial fee would be deposited into the State Road Fund. The measure also preserves existing DMV authority over plate design, plate legibility, registration suspension for damaged or illegible plates, returned-check procedures, and electronic signatures.
Impact
If enacted, the bill would amend §17A-3-14 of the West Virginia Code to add a new special registration plate category for 100% disabled veterans. It would give the Division of Motor Vehicles explicit authority to design and issue the plate, establish fee amounts, and waive any minimum application threshold that might otherwise delay production. The bill would primarily affect disabled veterans seeking vehicle registration recognition and would create a new revenue stream for the State Road Fund through the initial application fee.
Sentiment
The available bill materials suggest broadly favorable treatment of the measure, with the stated purpose focused on honoring and recognizing 100% disabled veterans. There are no recorded committee transcripts or votes in the provided context, so no formal opposition or support statements are available. Based on the bill’s caption and structure, the sentiment appears supportive and ceremonial rather than controversial.
Contention
No specific points of contention are documented in the provided committee or voting history. Potential issues that could arise from the text itself include the added cost to applicants, the administrative burden on the DMV to design and issue a new specialty plate, and the decision to allow production without a minimum application threshold. However, no recorded stakeholders or legislators are shown as opposing or supporting those points in the supplied materials.