An Act To Establish a Special License Plate To Honor Maine Residents Serving Our Country
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0964
Committee Amendment CA_A_H223 (House)
Amends: 29-A MRSA §456-D

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 724, L.D. 964, Bill, "An Act To 
Establish a Special License Plate To Honor Maine Residents Serving Our Country" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 2 and 3 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §456-D is enacted to read: 
§456-D. We Support Our Troops registration plates 
The Secretary of State shall issue registration plates, referred to in this section as "We 
Support Our Troops plates," to support Maine troops and their families in accordance 
with this section and section 468, except that the provisions of section 468, subsection 7 
do not apply. 
1. We Support Our Troops 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 SOland the administrative fee and contribution 
provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of We Support 
Our Troops plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. These plates must bear 
identification numbers and letters. 
2. Administrative fee and contribution to special programs. A person may 
contribute funds for the purposes of providing financial assistance to members of the 
Maine National Guard and their families or residents of the State who are members of the 
Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States and their families for emergencies and 
other special needs by applying for the We Support Our Troops plates and submitting, in 
addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee required under section 501, a sum of 
$20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Maine National Guard Foundation Fund Special Revenue 
Funds account in the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management, 
referred to in this section as "the fund," for use in accordance with subsection 7; and 
B. Ten dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT .. A" to H.P. 724, L.D. 964 
3. Renewal fee. In addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee required 
under section 501, the annual renewal contribution for We Support Our Troops plates is 
$15, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. Ten dollars to the fund for use in accordance with subsection 7; and 
B. Five dollars to the Highway Fund established in section 469 for administrative 
and production costs. 
4. Design. A sponsor must submit a design for the We 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 "We Support Our Troops" printed along the bottom of the plate. The Secretary of 
State shall provide the final design to the joint standing committee of the Legislature 
having jurisdiction over transportation matters prior to manufacture of the plates. The 
Secretary of State shall issue upon request We Support Our Troops plates that are also 
vanity plates. We Support Our Troops plates are issued in accordance with the provisions 
of this section and section 453. 
5. Duplicate plates prohibited. The Secretary of State shall issue a We Support 
Our Troops plate in a 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence. Vanity plates may 
not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate. 
6. Weight limit. A We Support Our Troops plate 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. 
7. Administration of fees. The Secretary of State shall deposit to the Highway Fund 
$20 for each initial set of We Support Our Troops plates and $15 for each renewal of We 
Support Our Troops plates. The Treasurer of State shall transfer quarterly from the 
Highway Fund to the fund $10 for each set of We Support Our Troops plates issued and 
for each renewal of We Support Our Troops plates. 
The Treasurer of State shall reimburse the sponsor $20,000 of the original payment from 
the Highway Fund after the issuance of the first 2,000 registration plates under this 
section. 
Revenue in the fund must be used to provide financial assistance to members of the 
Maine National Guard, residents of the State who are members of the Reserves of the 
Armed Forces of the United States and the families of those members of the Maine 
National Guard or Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States for emergencies 
and other special needs as determined by the We Support Our Troops Advisory Board 
established in Title 5, section 12004-1, subsection 84-A. 
8. 
We Support Our Troops Advisory Board. The We Support Our Troops 
Advisory Board, as established by Title 5, section 12004-1, subsection 84-A and referred 
to in this section as "the board," consists of 9 members. Membership of the advisory 
board is as follows: 
A. Eight members appointed by the Governor, in consultation with the Adjutant 
General of the State of Maine, as follows: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT A " 
to H.P. 724, L.D. 964 
(1) Two persons, each representing the interests of the Maine National Guard; 
(2) 
Two persons, each representing the interests of Maine residents in the 
Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States; and 
(3) Four persons representing the interests of the public; and 
B. The Adjutant General of the State of Maine. 
The Adjutant General serves during the Adjutant General's term of office. The terms of 
members appointed under paragraph A are for 3 years. Members may be reappointed for 
subsequent terms. 
A vacancy must be filled in the same manner as an original 
appointment for the remainder of the unexpired term. 
The board shall determine the use of the revenue in the fund. Revenue in the fund must 
be used to provide financial assistance in the form of loans or grants to members of the 
Maine National Guard, residents of the State who are members of the Reserves of the 
Armed Forces of the United States and the families of those members of the Maine 
National Guard or Reserves of the Armed Forces of the United States for emergencies 
and other special needs. 
The board shall submit a report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over transportation matters by June 30th of each year. The report must 
provide a detailed account of funds for each fiscal year and include the number of loans 
and grants awarded, the names of those who received loans and grant money, a 
description of the process for awarding loans and grants and the total amount of loan and 
grant money awarded. 
Sec. 3. Staggered terms for We Support Our Troops Advisory Board 
members. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 456-D, 
subsection 8, the first members appointed under Title 29-A, section 456-D, subsection 8, 
paragraph A, subparagraph (1) serve for 1 year, the first members appointed under Title 
29-A, section 456-D, subsection 8, paragraph A, subparagraph (2) serve for 2 years and 
the first members appointed under Title 29-A, section 456-D, subsection 8, paragraph A, 
subparagraph (3) serve for 3 years. 
Sec. 4. Timing of issuance of plates. The Secretary of State shall begin issuing 
We Support Our Troops plates under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 
456-D on November 1,2007 if the sponsor of the plate who is registered under Title 29-
A, section 468, subsection 1 provided to the Secretary of State by May 1, 2007 the sum of 
$18,018 for deposit in the Specialty License Plate Fund established under Title 29-A, 
section 469. This amount represents the incremental cost of issuing the specialty plate 
beginning November 1,2007. If the full specified sum was not provided by the specified 
date, the Secretary of State shall begin issuing We Support Our Troops plates by April 1, 
2008. 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
CORRECTIONS, DEPARTMENT OF 
State Prison 0144 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A· t. H.P. 724, L.D. %4 
Initiative: Allocates for the cost of the stock needed to produce "We Support Our Troops" 
specialty registration plates. 
PRISON INDUSTRIES FUND 
All Other 
PRlSON INDUSTRIES FUND TOTAL 
CORRECTIONS, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
PRISON INDUSTRIES FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
Administration - Motor Vehicles 0077 
2007-08 
$2,000 
$2,000 
2007-08 
$2,000 
$2,000 
2008-09 
$2,060 
$2,060 
2008-09 
$2,060 
$2,060 
Initiative: Allocates for the cost of manufacturing "We Support Our Troops" specialty 
registration plates. 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
All Other 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
SECTION TOTALS 
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 
PRISON INDUSTRIES FUND 
2007-08 
$58,018 
$58,018 
2007-08 
$58,018 
$58,018 
2007-08 
$58,018 
$2,000 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
2008-09 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
$0 
$0 
2008-09 
$0 
$2,060 
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COMMI'ITEE AMENDMENT • A· to H.P. 724, L.D. 964 
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS 
$60,018 
$2,060 
SUMMARY 
This amendment makes the following changes to the bill: 
1. It removes a provision that waives the requirements of current law that a sponsor 
provide a list of 2,000 names of supporters who intend to buy the specialty plate and raise 
$40,000 toward the cost of issuing those plates; 
2. It waives the requirements of current law that the design of the specialty plate be 
submitted by September 1 st to the Secretary of State and that the Secretary of State then 
submit the authorizing legislation with respect to the specialty plate; 
3. It removes the legislative members from the We Support Our Troops Advisory 
Board, adds 2 more public members to the board, establishes terms for the members of 
the board and provides for the filling of vacancies; 
4. It removes provisions allowing persons to purchase the plates without registering a 
vehicle; 
5. It modifies how fees raised by the plate are administratively handled; 
6. It removes a provision providing for copyrighting the plate design; 
7. It adds provisions relating to the issuance of vanity plates, number sequencing and 
weight limits on vehicles eligible for the plates; 
8. It provides for an issuance date of November 1, 2007 only if the sponsor of the 
plate pays for the incremental costs associated with that issuance date. If that funding is 
not provided, the issuance date is moved to April 1, 2008; and 
9. It adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL \OTE HEQrlRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 05/04/07 
~ae 
LD964 
LR 837(02) 
An Act To Establish a Special License Plate To Honor Maine Residents Serving Our Country 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ·4 .. 
Committee: Transportation 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Net Cost (Savings) 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Prison Industries Fund 
Revenue 
Highway Fund 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note 
2007-08 
($30,000) 
$58,018 
$2,000 
$30,000 
$48,018 
2008-09 
($18,500) 
$0 
$2,060 
$18,500 
$32,000 
Projections 
2009-10 
($U~,500) 
$0 
$2,122 
$18,500 
$32,000 
Projections 
2010-11 
($18,500) 
$0 
$2,185 
$18,500 
$32,000 
The authorization of a "We Support Our Troops" registration plate will increase Highway Fund revenue by an 
estimated $30,000 in fiscal year 2007-08 and $18,500 in fiscal year 2008-09. The bill includes an additional one-time 
Other Special Revenue Funds allocation of $58,018 in fiscal year 2007-08 for the Specialty Plate Fund within the 
Bureau of Motor Vehicles for the costs of manufacturing the plates. This additional allocation presumes that the 
sponsor of the registration plate will provide an additional $18,018 in dedicated revenue (it has already provided 
$40,000) to be deposited into the Specialty Plate Fund by May 1,2007 to provide adequate resources for this 
increased expenditure. 
The plate will also increase dedicated revenue to the newly established Maine National Guard Foundation Fund within 
the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management. The estimated amounts are $30,000 and $32,000 
in fiscal years 2007-08 and 2008-09, respectively. 
This legislation includes a Prison Industries Fund allocation to the Department of Corrections of $2,000 in fiscal year 
2007-08 and $2,060 in fiscal year 2008-09 to allocate funds for the cost of the stock to produce the plates. 
LR0837(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1