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PUBLIC LAWS OF MAINE
Second Special Session of the 121st

PART B

     Sec. B-1. 29-A MRSA §468, first ¶, as amended by PL 2001, c. 623, §5, is further amended to read:

     The Secretary of State may not issue a specialty license plate unless the specialty license plate is authorized by the Legislature. For the purposes of this section, "specialty license plate" means a specially designed registration plate that may be used in place of the regular plate and registration for fundraising purposes. The Secretary of State shall administer a specialty license plate in accordance with the following provisions.

     Sec. B-2. 29-A MRSA §468-A is enacted to read:

§468-A. Recognition license plates

     The Secretary of State may not issue a recognition license plate unless the recognition license plate is authorized by the Legislature. The Secretary of State shall administer a recognition license plate in accordance with this section.

     1. Definition. "Recognition license plate" means a specially designed registration plate that may be used in place of the regular plate and registration for recognition purposes only and is not used for fundraising purposes.

     2. Sponsor. A person shall register with the Secretary of State as the sponsor of a recognition license plate.

     3. Names, signatures and payment. The Secretary of State may not manufacture an authorized recognition license plate unless a sponsor under subsection 2 pays in advance for the manufacture of at least 2,000 pairs of the recognition license plate and provides a list with 2,000 names, signatures and current plate numbers of supporters who intend to purchase the recognition license plate. A payment of $40,000 for 2,000 pairs of plates at $20 per pair must be deposited in the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469. After 2,000 pairs of plates are purchased or 5 years have passed from the date the plate is authorized, whichever occurs first, the Secretary of State shall reimburse $20,000 to the sponsor of the plate from the Specialty License Plate Fund.

     4. Registration fee. The fee for the recognition license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 and the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482.

     5. Minimum number manufactured. The Secretary of State shall manufacture a minimum of 2,000 recognition license plates for each recognition license plate authorized under this section.

     6. Design approval. A sponsor must submit a proposed design for a recognition license plate for approval or modification by the Secretary of State. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters shall review the final design for a recognition license plate prior to the manufacture of the plate.

     7. Duplicate plates. The Secretary of State shall issue a recognition license plate in a 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence. Vanity plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.

     8. Deadline for Secretary of State approval. The sponsor shall submit to the Secretary of State the names, signatures, payment and proposed design for the recognition license plate by September 1st. If the design is approved pursuant to subsection 6, the Secretary of State shall submit proposed legislation seeking authorization of the recognition license plate to the following regular session of the Legislature.

     9. Weight limit. A recognition license plate may not be issued for an automobile or pickup truck that weighs more than 6,000 pounds.

     Sec. B-3. 29-A MRSA §469, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 623, §6, is further amended to read:

     2. Purpose. All Except as specified under section 468-A, subsection 3, all money credited to the Specialty License Plate Fund must be used to cover the cost of manufacturing and producing a specialty or recognition license plate authorized pursuant to section sections 468 and 468-A.

     Sec. B-4. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 671, §10, is amended to read:

     3. Special veterans registration plates. The Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the registration fee required by section 501, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of special veterans registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 pounds to any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged. If a veteran is the primary driver of 3 vehicles, the Secretary of State may issue in accordance with this section a set of special veterans registration plates for each vehicle.

Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, or certification from the United States Veterans Administration or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the applicant's military service and honorable discharge.
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special registration plates is retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
The Secretary of State may issue a set of special veterans registration plates in the name of a company if the company is owned solely by a veteran who qualifies for a veteran plate under this section. The qualifying veteran must be the primary driver of the company vehicle.
The surviving spouse of a special veteran plate recipient issued plates in accordance with this subsection may retain and display the special veteran plates as long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the special veteran plates on a motor vehicle, but may retain them as a keepsake. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the family may retain the special veteran plates, but may not use them on a motor vehicle.
The Secretary of State may issue a special disability registration plate for veterans in accordance with section 521, subsections 1, 5, 7 and 9. The special disability registration plate for veterans must bear the International Symbol of Access.

     Sec. B-5. 29-A MRSA §1002, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2003, c. 434, §13 and affected by §37, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:

     8. Vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds. The following provisions apply to the use of dealer plates on vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.

     Sec. B-6. 29-A MRSA §1253, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 434, §15 and affected by §37, is further amended to read:

     2. Compliance with federal law. The State must comply with the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, Public Law 99-570, Title XII, and regulations adopted under that Act in issuing or suspending a commercial license. In the case of any conflict between the federal statute or regulation and a statute or rule of this State, the federal statute or regulation must apply and take precedence. To ensure compliance, the Secretary of State shall adopt rules, administrative procedures, practices and policies, organizational structures, internal control mechanisms and resource assignments.

These rules compliance measures must include, but are not limited to, provisions that:

     Sec. B-7. 29-A MRSA §1354, sub-§6, ¶A, as amended by PL 1999, c. 668, §116, is further amended to read:

     Sec. B-8. Effective date. This Part takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the Second Special Session of the 121st Legislature.

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