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An Act To Provide Revenue to Veterans' Organizations and the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund from Table Game Revenue
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas,  veterans of this State are experiencing difficult times and services to which they are entitled should be provided without delay; and
Whereas,  enactment of legislation establishing the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund, which will aid veterans in need, must take place before July 1, 2013; and
Whereas,  in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-C, ¶D, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 417, §10, is amended to read:
 
D. Two percent of net table game income must be deposited into an account held by the board for distribution to charitable nonprofit organizations that were eligible to conduct beano games and games of chance in accordance with Title 17, chapters 13-A and 62. The account is nonlapsing and no distributions may be made from the account before July 1, 2013the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund established in Title 37-B, section 514.
Sec. 2. 37-B MRSA §512, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 471, §1, is amended to read:
 
1. Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund establishment; purpose.   The Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund, known in this section as "the fund," is established for the purpose of ensuring ongoing care and maintenance of veterans' graves within the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System after plot interment allowances for burials within the system are no longer received from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. The fund is established from deposits of 1/3 of the funds received from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs for plot interment allowances and from annual deposits from the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund established by section 514. The fund may also accept private and public donations. The fund is separate from other perpetual care or cemetery maintenance funds that support veterans' cemeteries and were established prior to the effective date of this section.
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	
 
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 126th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.