PLEASE NOTE: Legislative Information cannot perform research, provide legal advice, or interpret Maine law. For legal assistance, please contact a qualified attorney.
Amend the bill in the emergency preamble in the 3rd Whereas paragraph in the 2nd line (page 1, line 6 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Grant"
Amend the bill in section 1 in paragraph D in the next to the last line (page 1, line 18 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Grant"
Amend the bill in section 2 in subsection 1 in 4th line from the end (page 1, line 30 in L.D.) by striking out the following: "Grant"
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 3 and 4 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 3.  37-B MRSA §514  is enacted to read:
§ 514. Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund; establishment; report
The Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to provide financial assistance to veterans' service organizations. Beginning July 1, 2013 the director shall make distributions from the fund as follows:
 
1.  Transportation for medical needs of veterans.     Fifteen thousand dollars annually to a veterans' service organization that has maintained for the previous 5 years consecutively as of January 1, 2013 a program of providing transportation to veterans receiving medical services at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Togus or outreach centers of the veterans hospital;
 
2.  Veteran service officers at veterans hospital.     Sixty-four thousand five hundred dollars annually to each veterans' service organization that has funded and maintained a veteran service officer at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Togus for at least one year as of January 1, 2013; and
 
3.  Other veterans programs.     The remainder of the funds, distributed by the director after payment of any fees applied by the State for administration of the fund, as follows:
 
A.  Sixty-eight percent to the Maine Veterans Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund established by section 512, subsection 1;
 
B.  Twenty percent to organizations that coordinate an annual event to benefit homeless veterans by providing warm clothing and personal items; and
 
C.  Twelve percent to purchase flags for graves at veterans' cemeteries.
Beginning in 2014, the director shall submit a report annually by February 15th regarding the distribution of these funds, including information from organizations that received the funds, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over veterans affairs.
Sec. 4. Honorable service commemoration in fiscal year 2014-15. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 514, the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management shall make a one-time distribution of $15,000 to the fund established by Title 37-B, section 511.
Sec. 5. Gambling Control Board to transfer funds. Within 30 days after the effective date of this Act, all funds received as of June 30, 2013 by the Gambling Control Board within the Department of Public Safety for distribution to charitable nonprofit organizations pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 8, section 1036, subsection 2-C, paragraph D must be transferred to the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund established in Title 37-B, section 512.
Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Veterans Services 0110
 
Initiative: Establishes the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund with 2% of the net table game income from the casino in Bangor.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448	
				
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448	

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF				
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	
				
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448	
				
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448	

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Gambling Control Board Z002
 
Initiative: Reduces funding from eliminating the 2% of net table game income from the casino in Bangor previously distributed to charitable nonprofit organizations that were eligible to conduct beano games and games of chance.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	
All Other	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)	
				
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)	

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF				
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	
				
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)	
				
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)	

SECTION TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15	
				
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$0	$0	$0	
				
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$0	$0	$0	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
Current law requires 2% of the net table game income generated at a casino in Bangor to be held by the Department of Public Safety, Gambling Control Board for distribution to charitable nonprofit organizations eligible to conduct beano games and games of chance. This amendment provides that distribution of the table game income will go to the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund, which is established to assist veterans' service organizations with transportation of veterans to medical appointments and outreach to homeless veterans and to provide funding for veteran service officers at the Veterans Administration Hospital at Togus, for flags for veterans graves and for the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)