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hb339_02_PH
As Passed by the House
136th
General Assembly
Regular
Session
H. B. No. 339
2025-2026
Representative Hoops
Cosponsors: Representatives Deeter,
Jarrells, Click, Johnson, Gross, Kishman, Odioso, Abrams, Sigrist,
Brennan, Russo, Stephens, Williams, Rogers, White, A., Newman,
Willis, Grim, Abdullahi, Baker, Barhorst, Bird, Brent, Brewer,
Brownlee, Claggett, Cockley, Daniels, Glassburn, Hall, D., Hall, T.,
Hiner, Isaacsohn, John, Klopfenstein, Lampton, LaRe, Lawson-Rowe,
Lear, Lett, Lorenz, Manning, Mathews, A., McClain, Miller, K.,
Miller, M., Mohamed, Mullins, Oelslager, Peterson, Piccolantonio,
Plummer, Richardson, Ritter, Robb Blasdel, Robinson, Roemer, Salvo,
Schmidt, Sims, Somani, Thomas, C., Tims, Upchurch, White, E.,
Workman, Young
To
amend section 4503.571 of the Revised Code
to
allow the surviving spouse of a Purple Heart recipient to retain or
obtain the "Purple Heart" specialty license plate.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF OHIO:
Section
1.
That
section 4503.571 of the Revised Code be amended to read as follows:
Sec.
4503.571.
(A)(1)
Any person who has been awarded the purple heart may apply to the
registrar of motor vehicles for the registration of any passenger
car, noncommercial motor vehicle, recreational vehicle, motorcycle
when the registrar determines that producing a purple heart
motorcycle license plate is feasible, or other vehicle of a class
approved by the registrar that the person owns or leases. The
application shall be accompanied by such documentary evidence in
support of the award as the registrar may require. The application
may be combined with a request for a special reserved license plate
under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.
If
the applicant also is eligible for license plates imprinted with the
international symbol of access under section 4503.41 of the Revised
Code, the applicant may apply to have the purple heart license plates
that are issued to the applicant display the international symbol of
access. The application shall be accompanied by such documentary
evidence in support of the disability and of the vehicle alterations
as the registrar requires under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code.
(2)
Upon receipt of an application for registration of a motor vehicle
under this section
and any required taxes
,
and upon presentation of the required supporting evidence of the
award of the purple heart and, as applicable, the evidence required
under section 4503.41 of the Revised Code, the registrar shall issue
to the applicant the appropriate motor vehicle registration and a set
of license plates and a validation sticker, or a validation sticker
alone when required by section 4503.191 of the Revised Code.
(3)
In addition to the letters and numbers ordinarily inscribed on the
license plates, the license plates shall be inscribed with the words
"PURPLE HEART." When applicable, the license plates also
shall display the international symbol of access. The license plates
shall bear county identification stickers that identify the county of
registration as required under section 4503.19 of the Revised Code.
(B)
The
Except
as provided in division (D) of this section, the
license
plates and validation stickers shall be issued without the payment of
any registration fee and service fee required by sections 4503.04,
4503.10, and 4503.102 of the Revised Code, and without the payment of
any local motor vehicle license tax levied under Chapter 4504. of the
Revised Code. The applicant shall comply with all other applicable
laws relating to the registration of motor vehicles. If the
application is combined with a request for a special reserved license
plate under section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, the
license plates and validation sticker shall be issued upon payment of
seventy-five per cent of the additional fee prescribed under section
4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code.
(C)
No person who is not a recipient of the purple heart
or the spouse of such person, if that spouse has not remarried,
shall willfully and falsely represent that the person is a recipient
of a purple heart
or the spouse of such person
for the purpose of obtaining license plates under this section. No
person shall own a motor vehicle bearing license plates under this
section unless the person is eligible to be issued those license
plates.
When
Except
as provided in division (D) of this section, when
the
ownership of a motor vehicle registered under this section is
transferred under section 4503.12 of the Revised Code after the death
of the owner, the registrar shall ensure that the purple heart
license plates are replaced by non-purple heart license plates with
the amended registration required under that section.
(D)(1)
The spouse of a deceased recipient of the purple heart, if that
spouse has not remarried and if the deceased person was issued or was
eligible for the purple heart license plates issued under division
(A) of this section, may apply to the registrar to retain license
plates previously issued to the deceased person under this section or
may apply for registration under this section. The application for
registration shall be accompanied by documentary evidence of the
deceased person's award of the purple heart and by any other evidence
that the registrar requires by rule.
(2)
Division (B) of this section does not apply to the spouse of a
deceased recipient of the purple heart. The registrar may allow the
spouse to retain the license plates or may issue the license plates
upon payment of the regular registration taxes and fees required by
sections 4503.038, 4503.04, 4503.10, 4503.102, and 4503.103 of the
Revised Code, any applicable motor vehicle license tax levied under
Chapter 4504. of the Revised Code, any applicable additional fee
prescribed by section 4503.40 or 4503.42 of the Revised Code, and
compliance with all other applicable laws relating to the
registration of motor vehicles.
Section
2.
That
existing section 4503.571 of the Revised Code is hereby repealed.