New Hampshire HB 1415: establishing a special veterans license plate and creating a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates and establishing the New Hampshire first for veterans program and authority.

Bill Text

HB 1415-FN - AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

19Feb2026... 0602h

05/07/2026 1644s

2026 SESSION

 26-3143

 07/06

HOUSE BILL 1415-FN

AN ACT establishing a special veterans license plate and creating a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates and establishing the New Hampshire first for veterans program and authority.

SPONSORS: Rep. Roy, Rock. 31; Rep. Devoid, Merr. 1; Rep. D. Mannion, Rock. 25; Rep. Rhodes, Ches. 17; Sen. Birdsell, Dist 19; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23

COMMITTEE: Transportation

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AMENDED ANALYSIS

 This bill authorizes a special veterans license plate and establishes a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates.

 This bill also establishes the first for veterans program, a program designed to attract, retain, and support veterans in the state.

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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.

 Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]

 Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.

19Feb2026... 0602h

05/07/2026 1644s 26-3143

 07/06

STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE

In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty-Six

AN ACT establishing a special veterans license plate and creating a fund and administrative programs from the proceeds of the sale of such plates and establishing the New Hampshire first for veterans program and authority.

Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:

 1 Motor Vehicles; Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles; Conservation Number Plate Fund. Amend the introductory paragraph of RSA 261:97-b, I to read as follows: 

 I. There is hereby established a conservation number plate fund under the administration of the commissioner of safety. The fund shall be used for the promotion, protection, and investment in the state's natural, cultural, and historic resources. The fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated. The commissioner of safety shall distribute the funds annually on August 1, except as provided in paragraph I-a, as follows: $5,000 of every $100,000 received, up to a total of $50,000, shall be distributed to the department of transportation for the expanded wild flower establishment program for use in planting lilacs and native wild flowers; $1 for every new, renewal, and transfer of registration, up to a total of $50,000, shall be placed in a nonlapsing account for use by the department of natural and cultural resources to promote the conservation number plate program; the remainder shall be distributed as follows: 

 2 Motor Vehicles; Certificates of Title and Registration of Vehicles; Use of Funds. Amend RSA 261:97-c, VII to read as follows: 

 VII. Any funds transferred from the conservation number plate fund which remain unexpended at the end of the fiscal year shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated. 

 3 New Subdivision; Special Veteran Number Plates and Special Veteran Number Plate Fund. Amend RSA 261 by inserting after section 97-f the following new subdivision: 

Special Veteran Number Plates and Special Veteran Number Plate Fund

 261:97-g Special Veteran Number Plates. 

 I. The director is hereby authorized to issue special New Hampshire first for veterans number plates, in lieu of other number plates. The design of these special plates shall be determined as provided in RSA 261:97-k. The plates shall retain the "live free or die" logo. Such plates shall be issued only upon application and upon payment of a $60 fee that shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee and any other number plate fees otherwise required. 

 II. The commissioner is also authorized to issue vanity New Hampshire first for veterans number plates. The fee for any such vanity New Hampshire first for veterans number plate shall be the fee as provided in paragraph I, in addition to the fees for vanity plates which are otherwise established by law. The vanity plate portion of the fee shall be distributed as provided in RSA 261:89 and RSA 263:52. 

 III. Plates shall be renewed on an annual basis for $30 per set, which shall be in addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee and any other number plate fees otherwise required. Of this sum, the department shall retain an amount as is necessary to recover production and administrative costs as approved by the fiscal committee of the general court. The remaining funds shall be paid to the state treasurer and distributed as provided in RSA 261:97-h. The cost of replacement number plates shall be identical to the cost of initial number plates and the revenue from replacement number plates shall be distributed in the same manner as revenue derived from initial number plates.