Sec. 1. 19-A MRSA §652, sub-§9 is enacted to read:

9.__Additional fee to be collected for each marriage license issued.__In addition to any fee established pursuant to Title 30- A, section 3702 for the issuance of a marriage license, the municipal clerk shall collect a fee of $1 for each marriage license issued.__On a monthly basis the Treasurer of State shall deposit the funds collected pursuant to this subsection into the Domestic Violence Fund established in section 4015.__The money from the fund must be distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence or a successor organization for the operation of domestic violence shelters.

Sec. 2. 19-A MRSA §4015 is enacted to read:

§4015. Domestic Violence Fund

There is established the Domestic Violence Fund, which is a nonlapsing fund, referred to in this section as "the fund."__The municipal clerks of each municipality shall deposit into the fund on a monthly basis the additional fees charged and collected for marriage licenses pursuant to Title 19-A, section 652, subsection 9.__The money from the fund must be distributed by the Department of Health and Human Services to the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence or a successor organization for the operation of domestic violence shelters.

SUMMARY

This bill proposes the collection of an additional fee of $1 for each marriage license issued in the State. The fee would be deposited into a special revenue fund for the operation of domestic violence shelters.