2024 Pa. Act 60 | Pennsylvania Act 2024-60 — VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS

Act text

VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS
	Act of Jul. 15, 2024, P.L. 737, No. 60	Cl. 75

Session of 2024

No. 2024-60

HB 2301

AN ACT

Amending Title 75 (Vehicles) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in registration of vehicles, further providing for special plates for recipients of Expeditionary Forces Medal, providing for special plates for recipients of Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, further providing for Distracted Driving Awareness plate, for special motorcycle plates related to veterans and for special plates for veterans and providing for special plates for recipients of Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal; and, in fees, further providing for exemption of persons, entities and vehicles from fees.

The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania hereby enacts as follows:

Section 1. Section 1356 of Title 75 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:

§ 1356. Special plates for recipients of Expeditionary Forces Medal.

Upon application of any person who is a recipient of the Expeditionary Forces Medal, accompanied by a fee of $20 which shall be in addition to the [annual] registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to such person a special registration plate designating the vehicle so registered as belonging to a person who is a recipient of the Expeditionary Forces Medal[.] , except as provided under section 1356.1 (relating to special plates for recipients of Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal). The special registration plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds. The special registration plate shall bear the Expeditionary Forces Medal.

Section 2. Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 1356.1. Special plates for recipients of Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Upon application of any person who is a recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal, accompanied by a fee of $26 which shall be in addition to the registration fee and any documentation the department requires, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle licensed as belonging to a person who is a recipient of the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. The special registration plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds. The special registration plate shall bear the Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal.

Section 3. Sections 1358.2(b) and 1361 of Title 75 are amended to read:

§ 1358.2. Distracted Driving Awareness plate.

[(b) Expiration.--This section shall expire December 31, 2025.]

§ 1361. Special motorcycle plates related to veterans.

(a) [Honorably discharged veterans.--Upon application of any person who is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States, or a reserve component of the armed forces as defined in 51 Pa.C.S. § 7301 (relating to definitions), accompanied by a fee of $20] Veterans.--Upon application of any person who is a veteran as defined under 51 Pa.C.S. § 7101.2 (relating to definitions), accompanied by a fee of $26 which shall be in addition to the [annual] registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle as belonging to a person who is a veteran. The special registration plate may be used only on a motorcycle.

(a.1) Women veterans.--Upon application of any woman who is a veteran as defined under 51 Pa.C.S. § 7101.2, accompanied by a fee of $26 which shall be in addition to the registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle as belonging to a person who is a woman veteran. The special registration plate may be used only on a motorcycle.

(b) Honoring our veterans.--Upon application of any person, accompanied by a fee of [$35] $41 which shall be in addition to the [annual] registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the motorcycle as belonging to a person who is honoring veterans of the armed forces of the United States. The special registration plate may be used only on a motorcycle. The Veterans' Trust Fund shall receive $15 of the fee paid by the applicant for the plate.

(c) Honoring our women veterans.--Upon application of any person, accompanied by a fee of $41, which shall be in addition to the registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle as belonging to a person who is honoring women veterans of the armed forces of the United States. The special registration plate may be used only on a motorcycle. The Veterans' Trust Fund shall receive $15 of the fee paid by the applicant for the plate. The portion of the fee transferred to the Veterans' Trust Fund under this subsection shall be used for programs and resources that assist women veterans.

Section 4. Section 1364(a) of Title 75 is amended and the section is amended by adding a subsection to read:

§ 1364. Special plates for veterans.

(a) [Honorably discharged veterans.--Upon application of any person who is an honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United States or a reserve component of the armed forces as defined in 51 Pa.C.S. § 7301 (relating to definitions), accompanied by a fee of $20] Veterans.--Upon application of any person who is a veteran as defined under 51 Pa.C.S. § 7101.2 (relating to definitions), accompanied by a fee of $26 which shall be in addition to the [annual] registration fee and by such documentation as the department shall require, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle as belonging to a person who is a veteran [of the armed forces of the United States]. The special registration plate may be used only on a passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds.

Section 5. Title 75 is amended by adding a section to read:

§ 1368.4. Special plates for recipients of Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal.

(a) Issuance.--Upon application of a person who is a recipient of the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal, accompanied by a fee of $26 which shall be in addition to the registration fee and any documentation the department requires, the department shall issue to the person a special registration plate designating the vehicle so licensed as belonging to a person who is a recipient of the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal.

(b) Limitation.--A special registration plate under this section may be used only on a passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 14,000 pounds.

(c) Design.--The department shall design and produce the special registration plate under this section to display the Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal emblem and the words "Borinqueneers Congressional Gold Medal" at the bottom of each plate. Each special registration plate under this section that is not personalized shall also include the letter "B" as a prefix or suffix to the numerals on the special registration plate.

Section 6. Section 1901(c) and (d)(2) of Title 75 are amended and subsection (b) is amended by adding paragraphs to read:

§ 1901. Exemption of persons, entities and vehicles from fees.

(b) Title and registration fees.--No fee shall be charged for titling or registration of any of the following:

(6) Vehicles registered to a veteran who lost a limb or eye or who became partially paralyzed while serving in the armed forces of the United States.

(7) Vehicles registered to a person who, as a member of the armed forces of the United States, was captured by the enemy in any armed conflict for which the Department of Defense authorizes a campaign medal.

(8) Vehicles registered to a person who has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor or the Purple Heart.

(c) Processing fee in lieu of registration fee.--No registration fee shall be charged for vehicles registered by any of the following but the department shall charge a fee of $10 to cover the costs of processing for issuing or renewing the registration:

(1) Hospital.

(2) Humane society.

(3) Nonprofit youth center.

(4) American Red Cross.

(5) Church.

(6) Girl Scouts of America.

(7) Boy Scouts of America.

(8) Salvation Army.

(9) Duly chartered posts of national veterans' organizations.

(10) Young Men's Christian Association.

(11) Young Men's Hebrew Association.

(12) Young Women's Christian Association.

(13) Young Women's Hebrew Association.

(14) Jewish Community Center.

(15) Nonprofit corporations of musical marching groups of youths.

(16) [Any] (i) Subject to adjustment under subparagraph (ii), a person who is retired and receiving social security or other pension and whose total annual income does not exceed [$19,200] $29,906 . Unless the retired person is physically or mentally incapable of driving the vehicle, the retired person shall be the principal driver of the vehicle but may from time to time authorize another person to drive the vehicle in his or her stead.

(ii) Beginning the first day of January following the year of the effective date of this subparagraph and each January 1 thereafter, the maximum total annual income amount in subparagraph (i) shall be fixed annually by the department based upon the maximum amount in the prior year as adjusted to reflect the change in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the United States for all items as published by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Labor Statistics, for the previous 12-month period. The maximum amount as adjusted shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $1. The department shall transmit notice of the new maximum amount to the Legislative Reference Bureau for publication in the Pennsylvania Bulletin.

[(17) Any veteran who lost a limb or eye or who became partially paralyzed while serving in the armed forces of the United States.

(18) A person who, as a member of the armed forces of the United States, was captured by the enemy during World War I, World War II, the Korean Emergency, the Vietnam Conflict or in a future armed conflict for which the Department of Defense authorizes a campaign medal.

(19) Any person who has been awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor.]

(20) Nonprofit organizations which care for or otherwise provide services for the elderly or the infirm.

(21) Nonprofit organizations which principally serve mentally or physically handicapped or disabled persons.

(22) Nonprofit mobile aviation museum.

(23) Nonprofit corporations that provide ambulance or emergency medical services.

(d) Limitations.--

(2) Only one passenger car or truck with a registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 pounds may be registered to any person under the provisions of subsection (b)(4) , (6), (7) and (8) and subsection (c)(16)[, (17), (18) and (19)].

Section 7. This act shall take effect as follows:

(1) The amendment or addition of 75 Pa.C.S. §§ 1356, 1356.1, 1361, 1364(a) and (a.1) and 1368.4 shall take effect in 120 days.

(2) The amendment or addition of 75 Pa.C.S. § 1901(b)(6), (7) and (8), (c) and (d)(2) shall take effect in five months.

(3) The remainder of this act shall take effect immediately.

APPROVED--The 15th day of July, A.D. 2024.

JOSH SHAPIRO

Pennsylvania Act 2024-60 — VEHICLE CODE (75 PA.C.S.) - OMNIBUS AMENDMENTS

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