CHAPTER 683

H.P. 1254 - L.D. 1732

An Act To Honor Maine's First Peoples

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §524-A is enacted to read:

§524-A.__Wabanaki registration plates

No later than November 1, 2005, the Secretary of State shall issue Wabanaki registration plates to members of federally recognized tribes in the State pursuant to this section.

1.__Wabanaki registration plates.__The Secretary of State, upon receiving an application and evidence of payment of the registration fee required by section 501, the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and a statement signed by a tribal official from a federally recognized tribe within the Wabanaki Confederacy proving the applicant's membership in the tribe, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of Wabanaki registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. These plates must bear identification numbers and letters and the word "Wabanaki."

2.__Reimbursement for production and issuance costs for plates.__The Wabanaki Confederacy shall pay all costs associated with the initial production and issuance of the plates and shall provide payment to the Secretary of State for the costs to replenish the Wabanaki plate inventory.

3.__Design.__The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Wabanaki Confederacy, shall determine a design for the