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An Act To Amend the Laws Governing the Gold Star Family Registration Plate
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §524-B, sub-§§1 and 2, as enacted by PL 2011, c. 246, §1, are amended to read:
 
1. Eligibility.   Notwithstanding the requirements in section 468-A, the Secretary of State, upon application and upon evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of gold star family registration plates, to be used in lieu of regular registration plates, to:
 
A. A person who is eligible to receive a gold star lapel button under 10 United States Code, Section 1126 (2010); and
 
B. A grandparent of a member of the United States Armed Forces, if that member dies after March 28, 1973 as a result of:
 
(1) An international terrorist attack against the United States or a foreign nation friendly to the United States, recognized as such an attack by the United States Secretary of Defense; or
 
(2) Military operations while serving outside the United States, including the commonwealths, territories and possessions of the United States, as a part of a peacekeeping force.;
 
C.  A person who is not eligible to receive a gold star lapel button under 10 United States Code, Section 1126 (2010) but who is eligible for a lapel button for next of kin of deceased personnel under 32 Code of Federal Regulations, Section 578.63 (2006); and
 
D.  A grandparent of a member of the United States Armed Forces, if that member dies while serving on active duty or while assigned in the reserve components of the United States Armed Forces or Army National Guard unit in a drill status.
 
2. Application.   An application for gold star family registration plates must be accompanied by proof that the applicant is eligible for the gold star lapel button. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, shall verify the documentation presented by the applicant. Misrepresentation of documents is in violation of section 2103, subsection 5.
 
The Secretary of State may issue gold star family registration plates for display only on an automobile or pickup truck. An applicant may be issued gold star family registration plates for no more than one vehicle.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §524-B, sub-§4  is enacted to read:
 
4.  Gold star family vanity plates.     Upon request and as provided by section 453, the Secretary of State shall issue gold star family registration plates that are also vanity plates. Gold star family vanity registration plates are issued in accordance with this section and section 453.
Sec. 3. Contingent effective date. That section of this Act that amends the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 524-B, subsections 1 and 2 does not take effect unless the Department of the Secretary of State receives donations from any public or private source to cover the costs of gold star family registration plates for those eligible as a result of this Act. Donations under this section must be deposited into the Specialty License Plate Fund established in Title 29-A, section 469. The Secretary of State shall notify the Secretary of the Senate, the Clerk of the House of Representatives and the Revisor of Statutes when the Department of the Secretary of State has received the donations required under this section.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 127th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.