An Act To Create Animal Shelter Special Registration Plates
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0374
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: DUNLAP, BLANCHETTE, PEAVEY-HASKELL, PINEAU, THOMAS, TRAHAN, TWOMEY
Amends: 7 MRSA §3906-B, 29-A MRSA §456-C

12lst MAINE LEGISLATURE 
Legislative Document 
No. 374 
H.P.294 
House of Representatives, January 30, 2003 
An Act To Create Animal Shelter Special Registration Plates 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative DUNLAP of Old Town. 
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/J7.77!d£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: BLANCHETTE of Bangor, PEAVEY-HASKELL of 
Greenbush, PINEAU of Jay, THOMAS of Orono, TRAHAN of Waldoboro, TWOMEY of 
Biddeford. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec.t. 7 MRSA §3906-B, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 422, 
§3, is further amended to read: 
2. 
Animal Welfare Fund. 
The commissioner shall deposit all 
license fees received pursuant to chapters 721, 723, 725 and 735 
in a separate account established by the Treasurer of State and 
known as the Animal Welfare Fund. 
The commissioner shall deposit 
1/2 of feed registration fees collected under section 714 in the 
Animal Welfare Fund. 
This account does not lapse, but continues 
from year to year. 
The commissioner shall pay from the Animal 
Welfare Fund the expense of furnishing blanks, stickers and tags, 
travel expenses and salaries for necessary personnel, payments to 
animal shelters and expenses incurred in the administration of 
this 
Part. 
All 
contributions 
to 
the 
Animal 
Welfare 
Fund, 
pursuant to Title 29-A, section 456-C must be used for payments 
to animal shelters. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §456-C is enacted to read: 
§456-C. Animal shelter plates 
1. 
Animal shelter plates. 
The Secretary of State, 
upon 
recelvlng an application and evidence of payment of the excise 
tax reguired by Title 36, section 1482, the annual motor vehicle 
registration fee reguired by section 501 and the contribution 
provided 
for 
in 
subsection 
2, 
shall 
issue 
a 
registration 
certificate and a 
set of animal shelter special registration 
plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. 
These 
plates must bear identification numbers and letters. 
2. 
Contribution to Animal Welfare Fund. 
In addition to the 
regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law for the 
particular class of vehicle registered, the initial contribution 
for animal shelter plates is $20, which must be deposited with 
the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Animal Welfare Fund established in 
Title 7, section 3906-B, subsection 2 for payments to animal 
shelters; and 
B. 
Ten dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and 
production costs. 
3. 
Design. 
The Secretary of State shall determine a design 
for the animal shelter 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 
Page l-LR1537(l) 
upon request animal shelter plates that are also vanity J)lates. 
Animal 
shelter 
plates 
are 
issued 
in 
accordance 
wilh 
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 animal shelter special registration plates is 
$15, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and 
credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Animal Welfare Fund established in 
Title 7, section 3906-B, subsection 2 for payments to animal 
shelters; and 
B. 
Five dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and 
production costs. 
5. 
Reimbursement 
for production and issuance costs for 
first 2,000 plates. 
The sponsor of the animal shelter plate 
pursuant to section 468, subsection 1 shall provide $20,000 to 
the Secretary of State on or before December 1, 2003 for costs 
associated with 
the production and 
issuance of plates. 
The 
Secretary of State shall deposit these funds in the Specialty 
License Plate Fund in accordance with section 469, subsection 2. 
The Secretary of State shall then deposit fees collected through 
the sale of the first 2,000 plates in the Animal Welfare Fund 
established 
in 
Title 
7, 
section 
3906-B, 
subsection 
Z. 
Subseguently, the Treasurer of State shall reimburse the sponsor 
for the initial payment of $20,000 from the Animal Welfare Fund. 
6. 
Reimbursement 
for 
production 
and 
issuance 
costs 
for 
plates produced after first 2,000 plates. 
The Secretary of State 
shall deposit to the Animal Welfare Fund established in Title 7, 
section 3906-B, subsection 2 $20 for each initial set of animal 
shel ter registration plates and $15 for each renewal of animal 
shelter 
registration plates. 
The 
Treasurer 
of 
State 
shall 
transfer annually from 
the 
Animal Welfare 
Fund 
$10 
for each 
initial set of animal shelter registration plates issued and $5 
for each renewal of animal shelter registration plates. 
This 
transfer 
is 
to 
reimburse 
the 
Secretary of 
State 
for 
costs 
associated with production and issuance of plates. 
7. 
Duplicate plates. 
The Secretary of State shall issue an 
animal 
shelter plate in 
a 
3-number 
and 3-letter combination 
sequence. 
Vanity plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued 
in another class of plate. 
8. 
Weight limit. 
a 
motor vehicle that 
vehicle that exceeds 
section 504. 
An animal shelter plate may be issued for 
does not exceed 9,000 pounds. 
A motor 
6,000 pounds is subject to the fees 
in 
9. 
Date of first issue. 
The Secretary of State shall issue 
the first animal shelter plate on or after May 1, 2004. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates the animal shelter 
plate and deposits part of the proceeds 
plate to the Animal Welfare Fund. 
special 
from the 
registration 
sale of the