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Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management to distribute funds to cover the costs of United States Department of State passport card. Upon the effective date of this Act and until 90 days following the date upon which the State conforms with the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005 for the issuance of driver's licenses and state identification cards, the Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, or the commissioner's designee, shall provide funds to pay for the fee for a United States Department of State passport card for a veteran who:
1. Is a resident of the State;
2. Demonstrates the need to access federal military installations located in New Hampshire for medical services provided at United States Veterans Administration health care facilities;
3. Does not have the required photographic identification to access a federal military installation; and
4. Demonstrates significant financial hardship, making the fee for a passport card cost-prohibitive.
The commissioner, or the commissioner's designee, is not required to provide funds to a veteran to pay the fee for a passport if the funds appropriated in section 2 of this Act have been exhausted. If any funds appropriated under section 2 remain 90 days following the date upon which the State conforms with the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, those funds must be used for providing financial assistance to veterans and dependents of veterans as prescribed by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 505.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Veterans Services 0110
 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for passport cards to allow veterans to access United States Veterans Administration health care facilities located on military installations in New Hampshire.

GENERAL FUND	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	
All Other	$15,000	$0	$0	
				
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$15,000	$0	$0	
 
’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment directs the Commissioner of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management or the commissioner's designee to pay for the fee charged for a passport card issued by the United States Department of State for a veteran who demonstrates a need to access federal military installations located in New Hampshire for medical services provided by the United States Veterans Administration and does not have the required photographic identification required. Unlike the bill, which provides an appropriation to pay for the costs of passports, the amendment provides funding for passport cards. The amendment reduces the appropriation proposed in the bill from $45,000 to $15,000. Under the amendment, if any funds appropriated for passport cards remain unspent 90 days following the date upon which the State conforms with the requirements of the federal REAL ID Act of 2005, that balance must be used to provide financial assistance to veterans and dependents of veterans as prescribed by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 505.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)