An Act To Provide Revenue to Veterans' Organizations and the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund from Table Game Revenue

Emergency preamble. Whereas,  acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and

Whereas,  veterans of this State are experiencing difficult times and services to which they are entitled should be provided without delay; and

Whereas,  enactment of legislation establishing the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund, which will aid veterans in need, must take place before July 1, 2013; 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,

Sec. 1. 8 MRSA §1036, sub-§2-C, ¶D,  as enacted by PL 2011, c. 417, §10, is amended to read:

Sec. 2. 37-B MRSA §512, sub-§1,  as enacted by PL 2009, c. 471, §1, is amended to read:

Sec. 3. 37-B MRSA §514  is enacted to read:

§ 514.  Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund; establishment; report

The Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to provide financial assistance to veterans' service organizations. Beginning July 1, 2013 the director shall make distributions from the fund as follows:

Beginning in 2014, the director shall submit a report annually by February 15th regarding the distribution of these funds, including information from organizations that received the funds, to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over veterans affairs.

Sec. 4. Honorable service commemoration in fiscal year 2014-15. Notwithstanding the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 37-B, section 514, the Director of the Bureau of Maine Veterans' Services within the Department of Defense, Veterans and Emergency Management shall make a one-time distribution of $15,000 to the fund established by Title 37-B, section 511.

Sec. 5. Gambling Control Board to transfer funds. Within 30 days after the effective date of this Act, all funds received as of June 30, 2013 by the Gambling Control Board within the Department of Public Safety for distribution to charitable nonprofit organizations pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 8, section 1036, subsection 2-C, paragraph D must be transferred to the Maine Veterans' Memorial Cemetery System Care Fund established in Title 37-B, section 512.

Sec. 6. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF

Veterans Services 0110

Initiative: Establishes the Coordinated Veterans Assistance Fund with 2% of the net table game income from the casino in Bangor.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
All Other	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448

DEFENSE, VETERANS AND EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$186,707	$152,360	$148,448

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF

Gambling Control Board Z002

Initiative: Reduces funding from eliminating the 2% of net table game income from the casino in Bangor previously distributed to charitable nonprofit organizations that were eligible to conduct beano games and games of chance.

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
All Other	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	($186,707)	($152,360)	($148,448)

SECTION TOTALS	2012-13	2013-14	2014-15
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS	$0	$0	$0
SECTION TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$0	$0	$0

Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.