Resolve, To Place a Temporary Moratorium on the Approval of Any New Motor Vehicle Registration Plates and Initiate a Registration Plate Working Group (AFTER DEADLINE)
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1618
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: DIAMOND, MARTIN, FARRIN, PERKINS

Legislative Document
No. 1618
S.P. 511
In Senate, April 28, 2021
Resolve, To Place a Temporary Moratorium on the Approval of Any 
New Motor Vehicle Registration Plates and Initiate a Registration 
Plate Working Group
(AFTER DEADLINE)
(EMERGENCY)
Submitted by the Secretary of State and 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.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator DIAMOND of Cumberland.
Cosponsored by Representative MARTIN of Sinclair and
Senator: FARRIN of Somerset, Representative: PERKINS of Oakland.
Emergency preamble.  Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, the continued increase in the variety of available registration plates has 
created logistical complications in the manufacture, storage and administration of 
registration plates and imposed a considerable administrative burden on municipalities and 
other political subdivisions of the State performing registrations; and
Whereas, there is an absence of a strategic plan for the growth and usage of 
registration plates; and
Whereas, there is an immediate need to clearly define the role of specialty registration 
plates used for fund-raising by government and private entities under the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 29-A, section 468; and
Whereas, specialty registration plates could convey messages that are considered 
controversial, unfair or not uniformly representative of other points of view; 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
Sec. 1.  Temporary moratorium.  Resolved: That the Department of the 
Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles, notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes 
Title 29-A, sections 468 and 468-A, may not approve any specialty or recognition plate 
sponsor to begin the specialty or recognition plate signature gathering process, bring forth 
enabling legislation or otherwise initiate any new designs, redesigns or additional 
registration plates other than already approved and enacted for a period of 2 years from the 
effective date of this resolve.  The joint standing committee of the Legislature having 
jurisdiction over transportation matters may not consider or review any additional 
registration plate designs during this same period.
Sec. 2.  Registration plate working group.  Resolved: That the Department of 
the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles shall convene a working group to study 
the proliferation of registration plates in accordance with this section, referred to in this 
section as "the working group."
1.  Membership.  The chairs of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation shall 
appoint to the working group:
A.  The Secretary of State or a designee of the Secretary of State;
B.  Two members of the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation;
C.  The deputy secretary of state for the Bureau of Motor Vehicles or a designee of the 
deputy secretary;
D.  A representative of the Secretary of State's technology and information services 
staff;
E.  A representative of the motor vehicle inspection unit of the Maine State Police;
F.  A representative of a state agency that is a recipient of funds from the Specialty 
License Plate Fund under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 469;
G.  A representative of a municipality or other political subdivision of the State engaged 
in the registration of motor vehicles on behalf of the State; and
H.  A representative of the State Prison who is responsible for overseeing the 
manufacture of registration plates pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, 
section 451, subsection 6.
2.  Compensation.  Members of the working group may not be compensated for their 
work on the working group.
3.  Duties.  Duties of the working group include:
A.  Identifying and documenting the roles and functions of the State's registration 
plates;
B.  Exploring and documenting challenges with the registration plate manufacturing 
process;
C.  Exploring the challenges of storing and securing registration plate inventories in 
municipalities and other political subdivisions of the State and in branch offices of the 
Bureau of Motor Vehicles;
D.  Examining the benefits, detriments and legal issues arising from specialty 
registration plates;
E.  Examining competing interests with specialty registration plates;
F.  Examining standards and systems developed by national and industry experts and 
exploring ways in which the State can adopt such standards and systems; and
G.  Making recommendations based on the findings of the working group.
4.  Report.  The Bureau of Motor Vehicles shall provide a report by February 1, 2022 
containing the findings and recommendations of the working group to the Joint Standing 
Committee on Transportation, and the joint standing committee may introduce legislation 
based on those recommendations during the Second Regular Session of the 130th 
Legislature.
Emergency clause.  In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation 
takes effect when approved.
SUMMARY
This resolve halts for a period of 2 years the commencement, review and approval of 
any new registration plates by the Department of the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor 
Vehicles and the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
transportation matters.  The resolve directs the Bureau of Motor Vehicles to convene a 
working group to study the proliferation of registration plates and resulting challenges and 
concerns and to make a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation and 
authorizes the joint standing committee to introduce legislation based on the report.