Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §§456-A and 456-B is enacted to read:

§456-A.__Lobster registration plates

1.__Lobster plates.__Subject to the requirements of section 468, 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 lobster special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.__These plates must bear identification numbers and letters.

2.__Contribution to Lobster Fund.__In addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law for the particular class of vehicle registered, the initial contribution for lobster plates is $20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:

A.__Ten dollars to the Lobster Fund established in Title 12, section 6451; and

B.__Ten dollars to the Highway Fund.

3.__Design.__The Secretary of State, in consultation with the Lobster Promotion Council under Title 12, section 6455, shall determine a design for the lobster special registration plates.__ The Secretary of State shall issue upon request lobster plates that are also vanity plates.__Lobster 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 lobster special registration plates is $20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:

A.__Fifteen dollars to the Lobster Fund established in Title 12, section 6451; and

B.__Five dollars to the Highway Fund.

5.__Reimbursement for production and issuance costs.__The Treasurer of the State shall transfer annually from the Lobster Fund established in Title 12, section 6451 to the Highway Fund $10 for each initial set of lobster registration plates issued and $5 for each renewal of lobster registration plates.__This transfer is to reimburse the Secretary of State for costs associated with production and issuance of plates.

6.__Effective date.__This section takes effect May 1, 2003.

§456-B.__Maine Black Bears registration plates

1.__Maine Black Bears plates.__Subject to the requirements of section 468, 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 Maine Black Bears special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.__These plates must bear identification numbers and letters.

2.__Contribution to Maine Black Bears Scholarship Fund.__In addition to the regular motor vehicle registration fee prescribed by law for the particular class of vehicle registered, the initial contribution for Maine Black Bears plates is $20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:

A.__Ten dollars to the Maine Black Bears Scholarship Fund established in Title 20-A, section 11691; and

B.__Ten dollars to the Highway Fund.

3.__Design.__The Secretary of State in consultation with the alumni association of the University of Maine shall determine a design for the Maine Black Bears special registration plates.__ The Secretary of State shall issue upon request Maine Black Bears plates that are also vanity plates.__Maine Black Bears 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 Maine Black Bears special registration plates is $20, which must be deposited with the Treasurer of State and credited as follows:

A.__Fifteen dollars to the Maine Black Bears Scholarship Fund established in Title 20-A, section 11691; and

B.__Five dollars to the Highway Fund.

5.__Reimbursement for production and issuance costs.__The Treasurer of the State shall transfer annually from the Maine Black Bears Scholarship Fund established in Title 20-A, section 11691 to the Highway Fund $10 for each initial set of Maine Black Bears registration plates issued and $5 for each renewal of Maine Black Bears registration plates.__This transfer is to reimburse the Secretary of State for costs associated with production and issuance of plates.

6.__Effective date.__This section takes effect November 1, 2003.

Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §468, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 776, §12, is amended to read:

§468. Specialty plate

Beginning July 1, 1999, the The Secretary of State may not issue a specialty license plate unless the specialty license plate is authorized by the Legislature. The Secretary of State shall administer a specialty license plate in accordance with the following provisions.

1. Sponsor. A person must register with the Secretary of State as the sponsor of a specialty license plate.

2. Names, signatures and payment. The Secretary of State may not manufacture an authorized specialty plate unless the sponsor pays in advance for the manufacture of at least 2,000 pairs of the specialty plate and provides a list with 2,000 names, signatures and current plate numbers of supporters who intend to purchase the specialty 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.__The Secretary of State shall provide one $20 credit to purchase a pair of specialty license plates for each name and signature provided.

3. Fee. The Secretary of State shall establish a fee for each pair of an authorized specialty plate of at least $10 per pair in addition to a registration fee to cover the cost of manufacturing and producing a specialty plate $20. The fee must be deposited in the Specialty License Plate Fund established under section 469.

4. Minimum number manufactured. The Secretary of State shall manufacture a minimum of 2,000 specialty license plates for each specialty plate authorized under this section.

5. Design approval. A sponsor must submit a proposed design for a specialty 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 specialty license plate prior to manufacture of the plate.

6.__Duplicate plates.__The Secretary of State shall issue a specialty license plate in a 3-number and 3-letter combination sequence.__Vanity plates may not duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.

7.__Deadline for Secretary of State approval.__The sponsor must submit to the Secretary of State the names, signatures, payment and proposed design for the specialty license plate by September 1st.__If the design is approved pursuant to subsection 5, the Secretary of State shall submit proposed legislation seeking authorization of the specialty license plate to the following regular session of the Legislature.

8.__Weight limit.__A specialty license plate may be issued for an automobile or pickup truck that does not exceed 6,000 pounds.

Sec. 5. 29-A MRSA §469, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 1997, c. 776, §12, is amended to read:

2. Purpose. All money credited to the Specialty License Plate Fund must be used to cover the cost of manufacturing and producing a specialty plate authorized pursuant to section 468. Fees collected for the manufacture and production of a specialty license plate may only be used to cover the cost of manufacturing and producing that specialty plate.

Sec. 6. Effective date. That section of this Act that enacts the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 6451, subsection 9 takes effect May 1, 2003. That section of this Act that enacts Title 20-A, section 11691 takes effect November 1, 2003.

SUMMARY

This bill would amend the laws governing specialty license plates to require the sponsor of specialty plates to provide a

minimum number of signatures of support and to tighten the requirement regarding payment in advance of the manufacture of the specialty plate.