Sec. B-1. 29-A MRSA §468, first ¶, as amended by PL 2001, c. 623, §5, is further amended to read:
The Secretary of State may not issue a specialty license plate unless the specialty license plate is authorized by the Legislature. For the purposes of this section, "specialty license plate" means a specially designed registration plate that may be used in place of the regular plate and registration for fundraising purposes. The Secretary of State shall administer a specialty license plate in accordance with the following provisions.
Sec. B-2. 29-A MRSA §468-A is enacted to read:
§468-A. Recognition license plates
The Secretary of State may not issue a recognition license plate unless the recognition license plate is authorized by the Legislature. The Secretary of State shall administer a recognition license plate in accordance with this section.
1. Definition. "Recognition license plate" means a specially designed registration plate that may be used in place of the regular plate and registration for recognition purposes only and is not used for fundraising purposes.
2. Sponsor. A person shall register with the Secretary of State as the sponsor of a recognition license plate.
3. Names, signatures and payment. The Secretary of State may not manufacture an authorized recognition license plate unless a sponsor under subsection 2 pays in advance for the manufacture of at least 2,000 pairs of the recognition license plate and provides a list with 2,000 names, signatures and current plate numbers of supporters who intend to purchase the recognition license plate. A payment of $40,000 for 2,000 pairs of plates at $20 per pair must be deposited in the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469. After 2,000 pairs of plates are purchased or 5 years have passed from the date the plate is authorized, whichever occurs first, the Secretary of State shall reimburse $20,000 to the sponsor of the plate from the Specialty License Plate Fund.
4. Registration fee. The fee for the recognition license plate is the regular motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 and the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482.
5. Minimum number manufactured. The Secretary of State shall manufacture a minimum of 2,000 recognition license plates for each recognition license plate authorized under this section.
6. Design approval. A sponsor must submit a proposed design for a recognition license plate for approval or modification by the Secretary of State. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters shall review the final design for a recognition license plate prior to the manufacture of the plate.
7. Duplicate plates. The Secretary of State shall issue a recognition license plate in a 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence. Vanity plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.
8. Deadline for Secretary of State approval. The sponsor shall submit to the Secretary of State the names, signatures, payment and proposed design for the recognition license plate by September 1st. If the design is approved pursuant to subsection 6, the Secretary of State shall submit proposed legislation seeking authorization of the recognition license plate to the following regular session of the Legislature.
9. Weight limit. A recognition license plate may not be issued for an automobile or pickup truck that weighs more than 6,000 pounds.
Sec. B-3. 29-A MRSA §469, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 623, §6, is further amended to read:
2. Purpose. All Except as specified under section 468-A, subsection 3, all money credited to the Specialty License Plate Fund must be used to cover the cost of manufacturing and producing a specialty or recognition license plate authorized pursuant to section sections 468 and 468-A.
Sec. B-4. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§3, as repealed and replaced by PL 2001, c. 671, §10, is amended to read:
3. Special veterans registration plates. The Secretary of State, on application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482 and the registration fee required by section 501, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of special veterans registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 9,000 pounds to any person who has served in the United States Armed Forces and who has been honorably discharged. If a veteran is the primary driver of 3 vehicles, the Secretary of State may issue in accordance with this section a set of special veterans registration plates for each vehicle.
Each application must be accompanied by the applicant's Armed Forces Report of Transfer or Discharge, DD Form 214, or certification from the United States Veterans Administration or the appropriate branch of the United States Armed Forces verifying the applicant's military service and honorable discharge.
All surplus revenue collected for issuance of the special registration plates is retained by the Secretary of State to maintain and support this program.
The Secretary of State may issue a set of special veterans registration plates in the name of a company if the company is owned solely by a veteran who qualifies for a veteran plate under this section. The qualifying veteran must be the primary driver of the company vehicle.
The surviving spouse of a special veteran plate recipient issued plates in accordance with this subsection may retain and display the special veteran plates as long as the surviving spouse remains unmarried. Upon remarriage, the surviving spouse may not use the special veteran plates on a motor vehicle, but may retain them as a keepsake. Upon the death of the surviving spouse, the family may retain the special veteran plates, but may not use them on a motor vehicle.
The Secretary of State may issue a special disability registration plate for veterans in accordance with section 521, subsections 1, 5, 7 and 9. The special disability registration plate for veterans must bear the International Symbol of Access.
Sec. B-5. 29-A MRSA §1002, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2003, c. 434, §13 and affected by §37, is repealed and the following enacted in its place:
8. Vehicle weighing more than 10,000 pounds. The following provisions apply to the use of dealer plates on vehicles weighing more than 10,000 pounds.
A. Except as provided in paragraph B, a truck tractor and trailer or semitrailer combination may be operated with dealer plates if the dealer is licensed as a new vehicle dealer or used vehicle dealer and heavy trailer dealer and if the trailer or semitrailer does not contain a load.
B. A dealer must obtain a written permit from the Secretary of State to operate a vehicle or combination of vehicles carrying a load. The permit must be issued in accordance with the following provisions.
(1) The operation of the vehicle or combination of vehicles and load must be in conjunction with the sale or purchase of a motor vehicle, vehicle or equipment by the dealer.
(2) The load must consist of a motor vehicle, trailer or equipment that the dealer is licensed to sell.
(3) The load may not consist of more than one automobile, truck or truck tractor at any time.
(4) The initial fee and renewal fee for a permit issued under this paragraph are $200 each.
(5) A permit expires one year from the date of issuance and may be renewed annually.
(6) A permit must contain the name and address of the licensed dealer, an effective date, an expiration date and any other information required by the Secretary of State.
Sec. B-6. 29-A MRSA §1253, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2003, c. 434, §15 and affected by §37, is further amended to read:
2. Compliance with federal law. The State must comply with the Commercial Motor Vehicle Safety Act of 1986, Public Law 99-570, Title XII, and regulations adopted under that Act in issuing or suspending a commercial license. In the case of any conflict between the federal statute or regulation and a statute or rule of this State, the federal statute or regulation must apply and take precedence. To ensure compliance, the Secretary of State shall adopt rules, administrative procedures, practices and policies, organizational structures, internal control mechanisms and resource assignments.
These rules compliance measures must include, but are not limited to, provisions that:
A. Provide for full state participation in the national commercial driver's license clearinghouse;
B. Require commercial drivers to have a single license;
C. Reduce and prevent commercial motor vehicle accidents, fatalities and injuries by disqualifying commercial drivers who have committed serious traffic or other designated offenses from operating commercial motor vehicles;
D. Protect public safety by removing from public ways a commercial driver who has:
(1) Operated or attempted to operate a commercial vehicle while having 0.04% or more by weight of alcohol in that driver's blood;
(2) Refused to submit to or complete a lawfully requested test to determine blood-alcohol level; or
(3) Operated or attempted to operate a motor vehicle while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or drugs; and
E. Provide maximum safety on public ways.
Sec. B-7. 29-A MRSA §1354, sub-§6, ¶A, as amended by PL 1999, c. 668, §116, is further amended to read:
A. The Secretary of State shall establish the Technical Review Panel that includes representatives from the Department of Education, the Department of Public Safety, the American Automobile Association, law enforcement agencies, the insurance industry, the motor carrier industry and a driver education teacher and instructor. The Technical Review Panel shall assist the Secretary of State in developing curriculum and teacher and instructor training and certification.
Sec. B-8. Effective date. This Part takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the Second Special Session of the 121st Legislature.
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