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B26-0135 • 2025

Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025

Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Bonds
Last action
2026-05-21
Official status
Official Law
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The candidate explanation includes details that are not explicitly mentioned in the official bill summary or text, such as the exact amount of the fee and the lack of yearly fees for the license plate. These were included based on reasonable inference but should be noted as potentially unsupported.

Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025

This act requires the Mayor to design and make available a special license plate for Purple Heart recipients or their surviving spouses in Washington D.C.

What This Bill Does

  • The Mayor must create a new motor vehicle identification tag that shows someone is a Purple Heart recipient or the surviving spouse of one.
  • Anyone who wants this special license plate needs to pay a $10 fee, and there won't be any yearly fees for it.
  • To get the license plate, people need to show proof they are a Purple Heart recipient or their surviving spouse. This can include military discharge papers or other official documents.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Purple Heart recipients and their surviving spouses who live in Washington D.C.
  • People applying for the Purple Heart license plate
  • The Mayor's office, which is responsible for designing and issuing these plates

Terms To Know

DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty
A document issued by the U.S. Department of Defense that shows when a person left active military service.
Office of Veterans Affairs Fund
A fund in Washington D.C. used to support veterans' programs and services.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The act only applies to residents of Washington D.C.
  • It does not specify what the design or emblem for the license plate will be.
  • Surviving spouses who have remarried cannot get this special license plate.

Bill History

  1. 2026-05-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Law Number L26-0114 Effective from May 21, 2026

  2. 2026-04-09 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Congress

  3. 2026-03-27 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Act A26-0276 Published in DC Register Vol 73 and Page 005063

  4. 2026-03-20 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Signed by the Mayor and Enacted with Act Number A26-0276

  5. 2026-03-10 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Transmitted to Mayor, Response Due on Mar 24, 2026

  6. 2026-03-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  7. 2026-02-03 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Legislative Meeting

  8. 2026-01-14 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Report Filed by the Transportation and the Environment Committee

  9. 2025-12-18 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Committee Mark-up of B26-0135 by the Transportation and the Environment Committee

  10. 2025-12-15 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Mark-up filed in the Office of Secretary

  11. 2025-11-13 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Public Hearing on B26-0135 View Public Hearing Record

  12. 2025-10-24 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing Published in the District of Columbia Register

  13. 2025-10-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Public Hearing filed in the Office of Secretary by Transportation and the Environment

  14. 2025-03-07 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Notice of Intent to Act on B26-0135 Published in the District of Columbia Register

  15. 2025-03-04 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    Referred to Committee on Transportation and the Environment

  16. 2025-02-21 Council of the District of Columbia LIMS

    B26-0135 Introduced by Councilmember Bonds at Office of the Secretary

Official Summary Text

Purple Heart License Plate Amendment Act of 2025

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
AN ACT
D.C. ACT 26-276
IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
MARCH 20, 2026
‘ToamendtheDistrictofColumbiaRevenueActof1937torequiretheMayortodesignandmake
availableforissueamotor-vehicleidentificationtagthatidentifiestheownerofamotor
vehicleasarecipientofthePurpleHeartawardorasthesurvivingspouseofaPurpleHeart
awardrecipient;andtoamendtheOfficeofVeteransAffairsEstablishmentActof2001to
makeconformingchanges.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this
actmay be citedas the“PurpleHeartLicensePlateAmendment Act of 2026”.
Sec.2,TitleIVoftheDistrictofColumbiaRevenueActof1937,approvedAugust17,
1937(50Stat.679;D.C.OfficialCode§50-1501.01efseq.),isamendedasfollows:
(a)Section2a(b)(4)(D.C.OfficialCode§50-1501,02a(b)(4))isrepealed.
(b)A newsection2oisaddedtoreadasfollows:
“Sec.20.IssuanceofPurpleHeartawardrecipientmotorvehicleidentificationtags.
“(a)TheMayorshalldesignandmakeavailableforissuemotorvehicleidentification
tagswithadesign,identifyingwords,oremblemthatdesignatestheownerofthemotorvehicle
asaPurpleHeartrecipientorasthesurvivingspouseofaPurpleHeartrecipient;provided,that
thesurvivingspousehasnotremarried.
“(b)(1)A residentorderingaPurpleHeartawardrecipientmotorvehicleidentification
tagshallpayaone-timeapplicationfeeof$10,orsuchotheramountasmaybeestablishedby
theMayorbyrule.ThereshallbenoannualdisplayfeeassessedforaPurpleHeartaward
recipientmotorvehicleidentificationtag.
“(2)TheapplicationfeeshallbedepositedintheOfficeofVeteransAffairsFund,
establishedbysection705oftheOfficeofVeteransAffairsEstablishmentActof2001,effective
October3,2001(D.C.Law14-28,D.C.OfficialCode§49-1004).
“(c)Noidentificationtagsmaybeissuedtoanyindividualunderthissectionunlessdue
proofissubmittedthattheindividualisabonafiderecipientofthePurpleHeartmedalasmaybe
1
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
demonstratedtotheMayoratthetimeoftheapplicationfortheidentificationtagsbysubmission
oft
“(1)DD-214 Certificateof Releaseor Dischargefrom ActiveDuty,or DD-215,
issuedby theUnitedStatesDepartmentof Defense, or itssuccessoragency;
“(2)WD-AGO 53-55 EnlistedRecord and Reportof SeparationHonorable
Discharge;
“(3)Generalorpermanentorderslistingtheawardissuance,whichshallbe
accompaniedbyacopyofthephotoidentificationoftheapplicant;
4(4)A certificateoftheawardissuancesignedbythesecretaryoftheservice
branch,orageneralofficerorflagofficer;or
«(5)OtherdocumentationthatmaybeacceptedbytheDepartmentofMotor
Vehiclesinconsultationwith theOfficeof VeteransAffairs.”.
(c)Section3 (D.C.OfficialCode § 50-1501.03)isamended as follows:
(1)Subsection(a)(1)isamendedbyaddinganewsubparagraph(S)toreadas
follows:
“(S)AnypersonorderingaPurpleHeartawardrecipientmotorvehicle
identificationtagshallpaythefeesetforthinsection20(b)(1).”.
(2)Subsection(4)isamendedasfollows:
(A)Paragraph(15)isamendedbystrikingthephrase“;and”andinserting
asemicoloninitsplace.
(B)Paragraph(16)isamendedbystrikingtheperiodandinsertingthe
phrase“;and”initsplace.
(C)A newparagraph(17)isaddedtoreadasfollows:
“(17)The feescollectedforthePurpleHeartaward recipientmotor vehicle
identificationtagunder section20 shallbe depositedintotheOfficeof VeteransAffairsFund,
establishedby section705 of theOfficeof VeteransAffairsEstablishmentAct of 2001,effective
October 3,2001 (D.C.Law 14-28,D.C. OfficialCode § 49-1004).”.
Sec.3.Section705(b)oftheOfficeofVeteransAffairsEstablishmentActof2001,
establishedOctober3,2001(D.C.Law14-28;D.C.OfficialCode§49-1004(b)),isamendedbystrikingthephrase“sections2a(b)(2)and2b(b)(1)ofTitleIVoftheDistrictofColumbia
RevenueActof1937,approvedAugust17,1937(50Stat.679;D.C.OfficialCode§§50-1501.02a(b)(2)and50-1501.02b(b)(1)),”andinsertingthephrase“sections2a(b)(2),2b(0)(1),and20(b)(1)ofTitleIVoftheDistrictofColumbiaRevenueActof1937,approvedAugust17,
1937(50Stat.679;D.C.OfficialCode§§50-1501.02a(b)(2),50-1501.02b(b)(1),and50-1501.020(b)(1)),”initsplace.
Sec.4.Fiscalimpactstatement.
The Counciladoptsthefiscalimpactstatementinthecommitteereportasthefiscal
2
ENROLLED ORIGINAL
impact statementrequiredby section4a of theGeneralLegislativeProceduresAct of 1975,
approved October 16,2006 (120 Stat.2038; D.C. OfficialCode § 1-301.47a).
Sec.5.Effectivedate.
ThisactshalltakeeffectfollowingapprovalbytheMayor(orintheeventofvetobytheMayor,actionbytheCounciltooverridetheveto)anda30-dayperiodofcongressionalreviewasprovidedinsection602(c)(1)oftheDistrictofColumbiaHomeRuleAct,approved
December24,1973(87Stat.813;D.C.OfficialCode§1-206.02(c)().
Laan‘Chairman:
Councilof theDistrictof Columbia
ywMayorDistrictofColumbiaAPPROVED
MARCH20, 2026

DocketNo.826-0135
[XJITEMONCONSENTCALENDAR,
COUNCILOF THE DISTRICTOF COLUMBIA
WASHINGTON,DC,20004

[XTACTION FirstReading,CC
{x1VOTEDATE February3,2026
{X]VOICEVOTE Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ABSENT Pinto
{]ROLL CALLVOTE - Result
Councit Member ‘Aye |Nay|NV_|AB | Rec| CouncilMember | Aye| Nay |NV_|AB| Reo|CouncilMember | Aye| Nay|NV | AB | Rec
ChairmanMendelson]x Frumin x Pinto x
‘Alon x Henderson| x Wile x
Bonds x LewisGoowe| x “we
rawors x Nadeau x
Feder x Parker x
X--InaateVote [AB~Absent NYPresentNotVoting
CERTIFICATIONRECORD B 4-26SecrearytheCoane Date
DocketNo.826.0195
[X]ITEMON CONSENT CALENDAR
[xTACTION FinalReading,CC
{X]VOTE DATE. March 3,2026
[X]VOICEVOTE ‘Approved
RECORDEDVOTEONREQUEST
ASSENT
[]ROLLCALL VOTE- Result
‘CouncilMember | Aye| Nay. Rec| CouncilMember| Aye|Nay |NV| AB |Req|CouncilMember |Aye |Nay|NV|AB| Rec
CatanMeneson]x Frunin x Pinto
‘Aon x Henderson| x R.Wnito
Bonds x LawisGooge| x Twos
Craword x Nadeau x
Feder x Parker x
X-IndicateVote : ‘ABAbsent “NW: Present;NotVoting
CERTIFICATIONRECORD
CAE‘SecretarytotheCouncil