HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2890        FILED ON: 1/14/2009

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 3340

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Nine

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An Act to establish a democracy fund..

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1. Chapter 9 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:—

            Section 31. (a) There shall be established and set up on the books of the commonwealth a separate fund to be known as the Democracy Fund. There shall be credited to said fund revenues received from the sale of Democracy in Action distinctive registration plates and a state supplemental allocation in such amount that the yearly revenues reaches, but does not exceed $1,000,000; interest earnings thereon issued pursuant to subsection (d) of section 2E of chapter 90.

            (b) The secretary of state shall be the trustee of all amounts credited to the Democracy Fund, Amounts credited to the Commonwealth Security Trust Fund and interest earnings thereon shall be available for expenditure and not subject to appropriation at the direction of the secretary of state for the following purposes: (i) for providing grants to local community-based organizations engaged in voter registration and/or civic education efforts; (ii) for providing grants to non-partisan statewide organizations that sponsor or undertake voter education, voter outreach and/or voter registration efforts; and (iii) for grants to public schools to develop and implement civic education and/or civic engagement programs targeted to students of said public schools.

            SECTION 2. E of chapter 90 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2002 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection:—

            (d) The registrar shall furnish, upon application, to the owners of private passenger motor vehicles distinctive registration plates which shall display on their face a design celebrating democracy and civic engagement.  Said design shall be by the registrar in consultation with the secretary of state.  There shall be a fee of not less than $40 for such plates in addition to the established registration fee for private passenger motor vehicles, such fee being payable at the time of registration of such vehicle and at each renewal thereof.  The portion of the total fee remaining after the deduction of the costs directly attributable to the issuance of such plates shall be deposited in a registry retained revenue account and of the remaining portion of such fee, 100 per cent shall be deposited in the Democracy and Civic Engagement Fund Established in section 31 of chapter 9.