An Act To Establish an Agriculture Education Registration Plate
Maine Legislature, Session 123, LD 0986
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: PIEH, SHERMAN, FISHER, LUNDEEN, MAREAN, PRATT, THOMAS, BRYANT, NUTTING
Amends: 7 MRSA §242, 29-A MRSA §456-D

Legislative Document 
No. 986 
H.P.746 
House of Representatives, March 2, 2007 
An Act To Establish an Agriculture Education Registration Plate 
Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative PIEH of Bremen. 
Cosponsored by Senator SHERMAN of Aroostook and 
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MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: CRA Y of Palmyra, FISHER of Brewer, LUNDEEN of Mars Hill, MAREAN 
of Hollis, PRATT of Eddington, THOMAS of Ripley, Senators: BRYANT of Oxford, 
NUTTING of Androscoggin. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §242 is enacted to read: 
§242. Agriculture Education Plate Fund 
The Agriculture Education Plate Fund is created and established as a nonlapsing fund 
administered bv the commissioner into which fees for the agriculture education plates arc 
deposited pursuant to Title 29-A, section 456-D, subsections 2, 4 and 6 to fund programs 
of the Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association and other agricultural education 
efforts as approved by the assocition. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §456-D is enacted to read: 
§456-D. Agriculture education registration plate 
1. 
Agriculture education plates. The Secretary of State, upon recelvmg an 
application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, 
the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 and the contribution 
provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of agriculture 
education special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. 
These plates must bear identification numbers and letters. 
2. Contribution; credit to Agriculture Education Plate Fund. In addition to the 
regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law for the particular class of vehicle 
registered, the initial contribution for agriculture education plates is $20, which must be 
deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. 
Ten dollars to the Agriculture Education Plate Fund established in Title 7, 
section 242; and 
B. 
Ten dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs. 
3. Design; review; vanity plates. The Secretary of State, in consultation with the 
Maine Agriculture in the Classroom Association, shall determine a design for the 
agriculture education 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 upon request 
agriculture education plates that are also vanity plates. Agriculture education plates are 
issued in accordance with 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 agriculture education special registration 
plates is $15, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as 
follows: 
A. Ten dollars to the Agriculture Education Plate Fund established in Title 7, section 
242; and 
B. 
Five dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs. 
I I 
5. Reimbursement for production and issuance costs for first 2,000 plates. The 
sponsor of the agriculture education plate pursuant to section 468, subsection 1 shall 
provide $40,000 to the Secretary of State for costs associated with the production and 
issuance of plates. The Secretary of State shall deposit these funds in the Highway Fund. 
After the production and issuance of the first 2,000 plates, the Treasurer of State shall 
reimburse the sponsor $20,000 of the original payment from the Highway Fund. 
6. Production and issuance costs for plates produced after first 2,000 plates. 
After the first 2,000 plates issued, the Secretary of State shall deposit to the Highw(!y 
Fund $20 for each initial set of agriculture education registration plates and $15 for each 
renewal of agricultural education registration plates. The Treasurer of State shall transfer 
quarterlv from the Highway Fund to the Agriculture Education Plate Fund established in 
Title 7, section 242 $10 for each set of agriculture education registration plates issued and 
for each renewal of agriculture education registration plates. 
7. Duplicate plates. The Secretary of State shall issue an agriculture education 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. An agriculture education plate may be issued for a motor vehicle 
that does not exceed 9,000 pounds. A motor vehicle that exceeds 6,000 pounds is subject 
to the fees in section 504. 
9. 
Date of first issue. The Secretary of State shall issue the first agriculture 
education plate no later than October 1, 2007. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates the Agriculture Education Plate Fund and establishes an agriculture 
education plate for motor vehicles that do not exceed 9,000 pounds. Ten dollars of each 
initial registration or renewal of registration of an agriculture education plate must be 
deposited in the fund to support agriculture education efforts.