An Act To Offer Zero-interest Loans to Employers Providing Bicycle Facilities
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0847
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: SUSLOVIC, BROMLEY, EDER, KOFFMAN, LERMAN, MARRACHE, PIOTTI, SAMPSON, WOODBURY, GAGNON
Amends: 22 MRSA §1511

Legislative Document 
No. 847 
H.P.624 
House of Representatives, February 20,2003 
An Act To Offer Zero-interest Loans to Employers Providing 
Bicycle Facilities 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative SUSLOVIC of Portland. 
Cosponsored by Senator BROMLEY of Cumberland and 
11'l~ /J7.17Ju~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: EDER of Portland, KOFFMAN of Bar Harbor, LERMAN of Augusta, 
MARRACHE of Waterville, PIOTTI of Unity, SAMPSON of Auburn, WOODBURY of 
Yarmouth, Senator: GAGNON of Kennebec. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 10 MRSA c. 110. sub-c. ll-A is enacted to read: 
SUBCHAPTER II-A 
BIcyCLING ASSISTANCE LOAN PROGRAM 
§llOO-Z. 
Bicycling Assistance Loan Program 
1. 
Program 
established. 
The 
Bicycling 
Assistance 
Loan 
Program, 
referred to ln this subchapter as "the program," is 
established within 
the 
authority 
to 
be 
administered 
by 
the 
authority through approved lenders. The purpose of the program is 
to subsidize interest costs of loans made to eligible businesses 
for the purchase and installation of bicycle racks, showers and 
changing rooms by that entity for its employees. 
The program 
subsidizes 
loan interest 
rates 
made 
by 
approved 
lenders 
to 
achieve an effective interest rate to borrowers of 0%. 
2. Sources of funds. 
Payments under the program to approved 
lenders equal to the present value of the total interest costs 
charged to 
the 
borrower 
by 
the 
lender 
over 
the 
term of 
a 
qualifying loan are to be charged by the authority to the Fund 
for 
a 
Healthy Maine, 
as provided in Title 22, 
section 1511, 
subsection 5. 
The authority may not charge payments for loan 
subsidies under this subchapter to the Fund for a Healthy Maine 
unless the authority first determines that sufficient funds 
exi~t 
in the Fund for a Healthy Maine to pay the amount to be charged. 
3. 
Rules. 
The authority shall adopt rules to implement the 
program. 
These 
rules must 
include, 
but are not limited to, 
criteria 
for 
determining 
qualified 
lenders, 
eligibility 
requirements for participation in the program by businesses r 
the 
maximum amount of loan or interest subsidy permitted under the 
program and the maximum term of loans allowed under the program. 
Rules 
adopted under this section are major substantive rules 
pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2. 22 MRSA. §1511. sub-§6. "G and H. as enacted by PL 
1999, c. 401, Pt. V, §l, are amended to read: 
G. 
Substance abuse prevention and treatment; aBe 
H. 
Comprehensive 
school 
health 
programs, 
including 
school-based health centersT; and 
Sec. 3. 22 MRSA §1511. sub-§6~ 1fI is enacted to read: 
Page l-LRl054 (1) 
I. 
Loan interest rate subsidizes charged to the fund by the 
Finance 
Program 
Authority of Maine under the Bicycle Assistance Loan 
established in Title 10, 
chapter 110, 
subchapter 
SUMMARY 
This bill creates the Bicycling Assistance 
Loan 
Program 
within the Finance Authority of Maine to provide zero-interest 
loans to qualifying businesses for the purchase and installation 
of bicycle racks, showers and changing rooms for its employees. 
The 
authority 
is 
required 
to 
administer 
the 
loans 
through 
approved lenders and to charge the costs of the interest subsidy 
to the Fund for a Healthy Maine, contingent upon the availability 
of funds in the Fund for a Healthy Maine. 
The bill requires the Finance Authority of Maine to adopt 
major substantive rules to implement the loan program. 
These 
rules 
must 
specify 
the 
criteria 
for 
determining 
qualifying 
lenders, 
eligibility 
requirements 
for 
participation 
in 
the 
program by businesses, 
the maximum amount of loan or interest 
subsidy permitted under the program and the maximum term of loans 
allowed under the program.