An Act To Establish Special License Plates To Honor Maine Residents Serving Overseas (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1430
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: PILON, SULLIVAN, DUPLESSIE, FISHER, HOGAN, MAZUREK, PARADIS, RICHARDSON

Legislative Document 
No. 1430 
H.P.994 
House of Representatives, March 22,2005 
An Act To Establish Special License Plates To Honor Maine 
Residents Serving Overseas 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
(EMERGENCY) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PILON of Saco. 
Cosponsored by Senator SULLIVAN of York and 
7l/~ 
/J7.11ltJ£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: DUPLESSIE of Westbrook, FISHER of Brewer, HOGAN of Old Orchard 
Beach, MAZUREK of Rockland, PARADIS of Frenchville, Speaker RICHARDSON of 
Brunswick. 
Printed 011 fel.:ycled paper 
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted 
as emergencies; and 
WhereaS,Maine citizens serving in Iraq and Afghanistan need 
our support while they are away from their families and homes; and 
Whereas, the families left behind are often not prepared to 
have their family disrupted by the war on terrorism; and 
Whereas, the need to support our troops and assist their 
families is urgent and important; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts 
create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of 
Maine 
and 
require 
the 
following 
legislation 
as 
immediately 
necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and 
safety; now, therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 29·A MRSA §§456·C and 456·D are enacted to read: 
The 
Secretary of State shall issue registration plates, 
referred to in this section as "Support Our Troops plates," to 
~upport our troops serving overseas and to support their families 
at 
home 
beginning 
November 
1, 
2006 
in accordance with this 
section and the guidelin,es of section 468 except that. for the 
purposes of this section, the requirement for the list of 2,000 
names of supporters as required by section 468, subsection 2 is 
waived. 
Support 
Our 
Troops 
plates 
are 
not 
required 
for 
registration of a motor vehicle but are to allow citizens to 
participate voluntarily to fund special programs to assist the 
families in Maine of troops serving overseas. 
1. 
Support Our Troops plates. 
The Secretary of State, upon 
receiving an 
appli~tion and evidence of payment of the excise 
tax required by Title 36, 
section 1482, 
the registration fee 
required 
by 
section 
and 
the 
administrative 
fee 
and 
contribution 
provided 
for 
in 
subsection 
2, 
shall 
issue 
a 
registration certificate and a set of Support Our Troops plates 
to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. 
Thege plates 
must bear identification numbers and letters. 
2. 
Administrative 
programs. 
A person may 
Special Programs Fund by 
fee 
and 
contribute 
applying 
contribution 
to 
to the Support Our 
for the Support Our 
special 
Troops 
Troops 
plates and submitting, in addition to the regular motor vehicle 
fee, a sum of $20 credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Support Our Troops Special Programs 
Fund established in subsection 5: and 
B. 
Ten dollars to the Specialty License Plate Fund as 
established in section 469 for administrative and production 
costs. 
3. 
Design. 
A spon~or must submit a design for the Support 
Our Troops plates to the Secretary of State for approval or 
modification in accordance with section 468, subsection 5. 
The 
design must include the shape of the boundaries of the State of 
Maine, with an image of a curled ribbon superimposed over the 
shape of the State, with the words "Support Our Troops" at the 
bottom of the plate. 
4. 
Renewal fee. 
In addition to the regular motor vehicle 
registration 
fee 
prescribed 
by 
law, 
the 
annual 
renewal 
contribution for Support Our Troops plates is $15, which must be 
deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follOWS: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Support Our Troops Special Programs 
Fund established in subsection 5: and 
B. 
Five dollars to the Specialty License Plate Fund as 
established in section 469 for administrative and production 
costs. 
5. 
Special fupg establish~~. 
The Treasurer of State shal~ 
establish the Support Our Troops 
Special Programs Fund, into 
which fees paid for Support Our Troops plates are deposited 
pursuant to subsections 2 and 4 for the Maine Army National Guard 
to distribute to the ~aine families of members of the Maine Army 
National Guard on active duty overseas in need of assistance of 
emergency funds or for similar purposes requiring special funds. 
§456-D. 
Serving America registration plates 
The Secretary of State shall issue registration plates, 
referred to in this section as 
"Serving America plates," to 
support our troops serving overseas beginning November 1, 2006 in 
accordance with this section and the guidelines of section 468 
except that, for the purposes of this section, the requirement 
for the list of 2,000 names of supporters as required by section 
468, 
subsection 2 is waived. 
Serving America plates are not 
required for registration of a motor vehicle but are for those 
service 
members 
of 
the 
State 
who 
have 
served 
in military 
expeditions 
to 
combat 
terrorism 
on 
or 
after September 11, 2001 to fund special programs to assist the 
families in Maine of military service members serving overseas. 
1. 
Serving America plates. 
The Secretary of State, upon 
receiving an application and evidence of payment of the excise 
tax required by Title 36, 
section 1482, the registration fee 
required 
by 
section 
and 
the 
administrative 
fee 
and 
contribution 
provided 
for 
in 
subsection 
2, 
shall 
issue 
a 
registration certificate and a set of Serving America plates to 
be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a person who 
shows 
proof 
of military service 
that occurred 
on 
or 
after 
September 
11, 
2001. 
These 
plates 
must 
bear 
identification 
numbers and letters. 
2. 
Administrative 
fee 
and 
contribution 
to 
special 
programs. 
A person who has been a member of the Armed Forces of 
the United States on or after September 11, 2001 may contribute 
to the Serving America Special Programs Fund by applying for the 
Serving America plates and submitting, in addition to the regular 
motor vehicle fee, a sum of $20 credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Serving America Special Programs Fund 
established in subsection 5: and 
B. 
Ten dollars to the Specialty License Plate Fund as 
established in section 469 for administrative and production 
costs. 
3. 
Design. 
A sponsor must submit a design for the Serving 
America 
plates 
to 
the 
Secretary 
of 
State 
for 
approval 
or 
modification in accordance with section 468, subsection 5. 
The 
design must include the shape of the boundaries of the State of 
Maine, 
with 
the 
image 
of 
the 
Global 
War 
on 
Terrorism 
Expeditionary Medal superimposed over the shape of the State, 
with the words "Serving America" at the top of the plate. 
4. 
Renewal fee. 
In addition to the regular motor vehicle 
registration 
fee 
prescribed 
by 
law, 
the 
annual 
renewal 
contribution for Serving America plates is $15, which must be 
deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Serving America Special Programs Fund 
established in subsection 5: and 
B. 
Five dollars to the Specialty License Plate Fund as 
established in section 469 for administrative and production 
costs. 
5. 
Special fund established. 
The Treasurer of State shall 
establish the Serving America Special Programs Fund, into which 
• 
fees paid for Serving America plates are deposited pursuant to 
subsections 
and 
for 
the 
Maine 
Army 
National 
Guard 
to 
distribute 
to 
any 
active 
duty 
military 
service 
member's 
dependents 
at 
home 
in 
the 
State 
in 
need 
of 
assistance 
of 
emergency funds or for similar purposes requiring special funds. 
Sec. 2. Protection of design of plates. 
The Secretary of State 
shall 
copyright 
the 
designs 
of 
the 
registration 
plates 
established pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, 
section 456-C and 456-D and make the designs available for a fee 
to 
other 
states 
interested 
in 
establishing 
these 
specialty 
license plates. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the 
preamble, this Act takes effect when approved. 
SUMMARY 
This bill authorizes the issuance of a special 
registration 
plate for any service member in Maine who has served on or after 
September 11, 2001. 
The proceeds of the sale of these plates are 
to go to a special fund to assist family members of those serving 
overseas. 
It authorizes the issuance of a special registration 
plate for those supporting our troops, and these funds also go to 
a special fund to assist family members of those serving in the 
war or for similar purposes requiring special funds. 
The bill 
also directs the Secretary of State to copyright the design of 
these 
plates and offer the designs to other states for a fee.