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An Act To Create the Support Animal Welfare Registration Plate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §456-G  is enacted to read:
§ 456-G. Support Animal Welfare registration plate
 
1.  Support Animal Welfare plates.   The Secretary of State, upon receiving an application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 and the contribution provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of Support Animal Welfare special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.
 
2.  Contribution; credit to funds.   In addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law for the particular class of vehicle registered, the initial contribution for Support Animal Welfare special registration plates is $20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:
 
A.  Five dollars to the animal welfare auxiliary fund pursuant to Title 7, section 3906-B, subsection 16;
 
B.  Five dollars to the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund established in Title 7, section 3910-B;
 
C.  Nine dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs;
 
D.  One dollar to the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469.
 
3.  Design; review; vanity plates.   The Secretary of State, in consultation with private businesses and nonprofit organizations concerned with animal welfare, shall determine a design for the Support Animal Welfare special registration plates. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters shall review the final design prior to manufacture of the plates. The Secretary of State shall issue upon request Support Animal Welfare special registration plates that are also vanity plates. Support Animal Welfare special registration plates are issued in accordance with the provisions of this section and section 453.
 
4.  Renewal fee.   In addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law, the annual renewal contribution for Support Animal Welfare special registration plates is $15, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:
 
A.  Five dollars to the animal welfare auxiliary fund pursuant to Title 7, section 3906-B, subsection 16;
 
B.  Five dollars to the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund established in Title 7, section 3910-B;
 
C.  Four dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs;
 
D.  One dollar to the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469.
 
5.  Payment for costs associated with the production and issuance of the first 2,000 plates.   The sponsor of the Support Animal Welfare special registration plates shall provide $50,000 to the Secretary of State for costs associated with the production and issuance of plates. The Secretary of State shall deposit these funds in the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469. In accordance with section 468, subsection 3-A, the Secretary of State shall provide 2,000 credit receipts to the sponsor to provide to each supporter who contributed $25. A credit receipt may be used only to obtain one set of Support Animal Welfare special registration plates.
 
6.  Transfer of fees.   On a quarterly basis, the Secretary of State shall transfer the revenue from the issuance and renewal of the Support Animal Welfare special registration plates to the Treasurer of State for deposit and crediting pursuant to subsections 2 and 4.
 
7.  Duplicate plates.   The Secretary of State shall issue a Support Animal Welfare special registration plate in a unique 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence. Vanity plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.
 
8.  Weight limit.   Support Animal Welfare special registration plates may be issued for a motor vehicle that does not exceed 10,000 pounds. A motor vehicle that exceeds 6,000 pounds is subject to the fees in section 504.
 
9.  Date of first issue.   The Secretary of State shall issue the first Support Animal Welfare special registration plate no later than October 1, 2009.
 
SUMMARY
This bill creates the Support Animal Welfare special registration plate. Proceeds from the plate would be divided equally between the animal welfare auxiliary fund and the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund, both of which are administered by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources.