Sec. 22a-27n. Connecticut lighthouse preservation account.

      Sec. 22a-27n. Connecticut lighthouse preservation account. (a) There is created the Connecticut lighthouse preservation account which shall be a separate, nonlapsing account of the Long Island Sound account. The account may receive any funds required by law to be deposited into the account. The Commissioner of Environmental Protection may receive private donations and funds from the federal government for deposit in the account. Any balance remaining in the account at the end of any fiscal year shall be carried forward in the account for the fiscal year next succeeding.

      (b) All moneys deposited in the account shall be used by the Commissioner of Environmental Protection for (1) the provision of grants or loans to private, nonprofit entities or to municipalities for the preservation, maintenance or restoration of publicly-accessible historic lighthouses on Long Island Sound including, but not limited to, protection of lighthouse structures and associated properties from tidal erosion, and enhancing public access to lighthouses, (2) the cost of administering this section provided nothing in this section shall prohibit the commissioner from using existing application forms in the Long Island Sound license plate program until such forms have been distributed and (3) reimbursement of the Department of Motor Vehicles for the cost of soliciting and transferring the lighthouse preservation donation authorized under section 14-21e, including any administrative expenses.

      (c) The Commissioner of Environmental Protection may provide for the reproduction and marketing of the image of Connecticut's publicly-accessible historic lighthouses for use on clothing, recreational equipment, posters, mementoes or other products or programs deemed by the commissioner to be suitable as a means of supporting the Connecticut lighthouse preservation account. Any funds received by the commissioner from such marketing shall be deposited in said account.

      (P.A. 97-221, S. 1.)