An Act To Create the Support Animal Welfare Registration Plate
Maine Legislature, Session 124, LD 0178
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: NUTTING, PIER, COURTNEY, PERRY, SIMPSON, BERRY, BROWNE, ROSEN, WAGNER
Amends: 29-A MRSA §456-G

FIRST REGULAR SJ£SSION-2009 
Legislative Document 
No. 178 
S.P.64 
January 21,2009 
An Act To Create the Support Animal Welfare 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 Senator NUTTING of Androscoggin. 
Cosponsored by Representative PIER of Bremen and 
9t!)tJ~ 
JOY J. O'BRlEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Senators: COURTNEY of York, PERRY of Penobscot, SIMPSON of Androscoggin, 
Representatives: BERRY of Bowdoinham, BROWNE of Vassalboro, PlOTT! of Unity, 
ROSEN of Bucksport, WAGNER of Lewiston. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §456-G is enacted to read: 
§456-G. Support Animal Welfare registration plate 
1. Support Animal Welfare plates. The Secretary of State, upon receIVIng 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 Support 
Animal Welfare special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates. 
2. 
Contribution; credit to funds. 
In addition to the regular motor vehicle 
registration fee prescribed by law for the particular class of vehicle registered, the initial 
contribution for Support Animal Welfare special registration plates is $20, which must be 
deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows: 
A. Five dollars to the animal welfare auxiliary fund pursuant to Title 7, section 3906-
B, subsection 16; 
B. Five dollars to the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund established in Title 7, 
section 391 O-B; 
C. Nine dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs; 
D. One dollar to the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469. 
3. Design; review; vanity plates. The Secretary of State, in consultation with 
private businesses and nonprofit organizations concerned with animal welfare, shall 
determine a design for the Support Animal Welfare 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 Support Animal Welfare special registration plates that are also 
vanity plates. Support Animal Welfare special registration 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 Support Animal Welfare special registration 
plates is $15, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as 
follows: 
A. Five dollars to the animal welfare auxiliary fund pursuant to Title 7, section 3906-
B, subsection 16; 
B. Five dollars to the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund established in Title 7, 
section 391 O-B; 
C. Four dollars to the Highway Fund for administrative and production costs; 
D. One dollar to the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469. 
5. Payment for costs associated with the production and issuance of the first 
2,000 plates. The sponsor of the Support Animal Welfare special registration plates shall 
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provide $50,000 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 Specialty 
License Plate Fund established under section 469. 
In accordance with section 468, 
subsection 3-A, the Secretary of State shall provide 2,000 credit receipts to the sponsor to 
provide to each supporter who contributed $25. A credit receipt may be used only to 
obtain one set of Support Animal Welfare special registration plates. 
6. Transfer of fees. On a quarterly basis, the Secretary of State shall transfer the 
revenue from the issuance and renewal of the SuppOli Animal Welfare special 
registration plates to the Treasurer of State for deposit and crediting pursuant to 
subsections 2 and 4. 
7. Duplicate plates. The Secretary of State shall issue a Support Animal Welfare 
special registration plate in a unique 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence. Vanity 
plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate. 
8. Weight limit. SuppOli Animal Welfare special registration plates 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. 
9. Date of first issue. The Secretary of State shall issue the first SuppOli Animal 
Welfare special registration plate no later than October I, 2009. 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates the Suppoli Animal Welfare special registration plate. 
Proceeds 
from the plate would be divided equally between the animal welfare auxiliary fund and 
the Companion Animal Sterilization Fund, both of which are administered by the 
Depaliment of Agriculture, Food and Rural Resources.