What to know about Rhode Island’s Goodwin license plate
By Staff Writer · Published 10/26/2026, 2:08:21 AM ET
Rhode Island created a charity license plate honoring Maryellen Goodwin to support colon cancer awareness. The July signing ceremony and the law’s enactment were separate events, and ordering availability is not verified here.
Q: What did Rhode Island announce?
A: Gov. Daniel McKee held a ceremonial signing on July 31, 2026, for legislation sponsored by Sen. Pamela Lauria and Rep. Susan Donovan. The plate honors former Senate Majority Whip Maryellen Goodwin, who represented Providence’s Smith Hill neighborhood from 1986 until her death in 2023.
Q: When did the law take effect?
A: Published Chapter 252 records enactment on June 19, 2026, and says the act takes effect upon passage. July 31 was the commemorative signing, not the enactment date shown in that chapter.
Q: How does the law direct the money?
A: It sets a $40 issuance surcharge, divided equally between the state general fund and the Partnership to Reduce Cancer in Rhode Island, plus a $10 renewal surcharge for the partnership. The surcharge is separate from ordinary vehicle registration charges.
Q: Who handles the design and initial orders?
A: The partnership and the Division of Motor Vehicles develop the design, with approval by state police. The partnership handles the first orders and must meet the legal prerequisites before submitting them for production.
Q: What minimum-order rule applies?
A: The current version of section 31-3-117 generally requires 600 prepaid sets for each plate type. A sponsoring nonprofit can use a 150-set minimum if it also pays a nonrefundable amount calculated by subtracting its orders from 600 and multiplying the difference by $30.
Q: Can drivers order this plate now?
A: This report has not verified current order availability for this design. A ceremony does not establish when a specialty plate can be ordered; the July announcement supplies neither a launch date nor an order form.
What it means
The General Assembly’s July announcement marked McKee’s ceremonial signing of the Lauria–Donovan legislation honoring Goodwin and supporting colon cancer awareness. Chapter 252 records June 19 enactment, sets issuance and renewal surcharges, and makes production conditional on design approval and order requirements; the announcement does not confirm an ordering launch.
Source
This State & Nation summary is based on Rhode Island General Assembly’s original release, dated 2026-07-31. The reporting and statistics above are attributed to that publication.