Bill > HSB643

This Study Bill expands eligibility for motor vehicle registration fee exemptions and special plates for disabled veterans in Iowa. Previously, only seriously disabled veterans who received a vehicle from the U.S. government were exempt, but this bill now includes any disabled veteran with a service-related disability rating of fifty percent or higher, as determined by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). These eligible disabled veterans will be exempt from registration fees for one vehicle and will receive one set of regular or special military registration plates for free, with the option to pay additional fees for non-military special or personalized plates, and importantly, those who already have non-military special or personalized plates and were issued or reassigned them within the year prior to July 1, 2022, can continue to use them without extra cost. Additionally, the bill clarifies that disabled veterans who qualify for these registration benefits are not required to apply for a separate persons with disabilities parking permit, as their free registration plates already grant them the same parking privileges.