An Act to Ensure Playground Safety
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1253
Committee: Natural Resources
Sponsors: TRAHAN, HALL, BARSTOW, BUNKER, COWGER, DUNLAP, FISCHER, GERZOFSKY, O'BRIEN, RECTOR

Legislative Document 
No. 1253 
H.P.927 
House of Representatives, March 6, 2003 
An Act to Ensure Playground Safety 
Reference to the Committee on Natural Resources suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative TRAHAN of Waldoboro. 
Cosponsored by Senator HALL of Lincoln and 
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1?1.7JPc~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: BARSTOW of Gorham, BUNKER of Kossuth Township, COWGER of 
Hallowell, DUNLAP of Old Town, FISCHER of Presque Isle, GERZOFSKY of Brunswick, 
O'BRIEN of Augusta, RECTOR of Thomaston. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. S MRSA §3307-G is enacted to read: 
§3307-G. 
Plarground Safety and Tire Recycling Fund 
The Playground Safety and Tire Recycling Fund, referred to 
in this section as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing 
fund 
within 
the 
State 
Planning 
Office 
into 
which 
must 
be 
deposited the playground safety and tire recycling fees imposed 
pursuant to Title 36, section 4841. 
The purpose of the fund is 
to promote playground safety while encouraging the recycling of 
tires. 
The fund must be used to award matching grants to public 
schools and institutions, state parks and recreation areas for 
the purpose of reimbursing 
such entities for purchasing and 
installing, 
according 
to 
the 
specifications outlined in the 
American 
Standards 
for 
Testing 
and 
Materials 
1292, 
ASTM, 
playground surfacing mater ial made from crumb rubber or other 
waste tire material processed by 
a 
facility located in this 
state. 
For 
the purposes of this section, 
the 
term "public 
schools and institutions" means public educational institutions 
or other public institutions located in this state and approved 
or licensed for the purpose of education or caring for children. 
The 
term 
"state 
parks 
or 
recreation 
areas" 
means 
public 
recreation areas owned and operated by the State that contain a 
playground area for public use. 
The State Planning Office shall 
adopt rules to administer the fund. 
Rules adopted pursuant to 
this section are major substantive rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 36 MRS A c. 720 is enacted to read: 
CBAP"l'ER 7 20 
PLAYGROOIm SAFETY AlID TIRE REcycLING FEE 
§4841. 
Playground safety and tire recycling fee 
A fee in the amount of 25¢ per tire is imposed on the retail 
sale of tires to be deposited in the Playground Safety and Tire 
Recycling Fund, established under Title 5, section 3307-G. 
SUMMARY 
This bill establishes a Playground Safety and Tire Recycling 
Fund 
to 
provide 
matching 
grants 
to 
public 
schools 
and 
institutions and state parks and recreation areas to purchase and 
install 
playground 
surfacing 
material 
made 
from 
waste 
tire 
material. 
The intent of this bill is to improve playground 
Page l-LR0086(1) 
safety while 
also 
promoting 
the 
reuse 
of tires. 
The bill 
establishes the fund within the State Planning Office and directs 
that office to adopt rules to administer the fund. 
The bill 
imposes a fee of 25¢ per tire to provide the funding for the 
grant program.