An Act To Make Transportation More Affordable for Low-income Families
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 0465
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: ADAMS, DAIGLE, KANE, MILLS, TWOMEY, WALCOTT
Amends: 5 MRSA §1813, 5 MRSA §1813-A

Legislative Document 
No. 465 
H.P.357 
House of Representatives, February 4,2003 
An Act To Make Transportation More Affordable for Low-income 
Families 
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representati ve McGLOCKLIN of Embden. 
/il~ 
117.11!(}£~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Cosponsored by Representatives: ADAMS of Portland, DAIGLE of Arundel, DUGA Y of 
Cherryfield, KANE of Saco, MILLS of Cornville, TWOMEY of Biddeford, WALCOTT of 
Lewiston, Senator: SA V AGE of Knox. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. I. 5 MRSA §1813, sub-§6. as amended by PL 2001, c. 529, 
§l, is further amended to read: 
6. 
Surplus property. 
Providing for transfer of supplies, 
materials 
and 
equipment 
that 
are 
surplus 
from 
one 
state 
department or agency to another that may need them, and for the 
disposal by private and public sale of supplies, materials and 
equipment 
that 
are 
obsolete 
and 
unusable. 
Poli tical 
subdivisions, 
educational 
insti tutions , 
fire 
departments 
or 
qualifying nonprofit organizations, as defined in section 18l3-A, 
must 
be 
given 
an 
opportunity 
to 
purchase 
the 
surplus 
items 
through private sale. 
If 
or 
more 
political subdivisions, 
educational 
institutions, 
fire 
departments 
or 
qualifying 
nonprofit organizations are interested in any item, the sale must 
be the result of competitive bid. Any equipment so purchased must 
be retained for 
a 
period of at least one year ln a 
current 
ongoing program. Any item purchased by a political subdivision, 
educational institution, fire department or qualifying nonprofit 
organization under this section may not be sold or transferred by 
that 
political 
subdivision, 
educational 
institution, 
fire 
department or qualifying nonprofit organization for a period of 6 
months from the date of the private sale aBa-~Re ( except that a 
qualifying 
nonprofit 
organization 
that 
contracts 
with 
the 
Department of Human Services to provide vehicles to low-income 
families may resell a vehicle purchased in the private sale to a 
low-income 
family 
to 
assist 
it 
in 
participating 
in 
work, 
education 
or 
training 
pursuant 
to 
the 
qualifying 
nonprofit 
organization' s 
contract with the Department of Human Services. 
The 
State 
reserves 
the 
right 
to 
refuse 
to 
sell 
additional 
equipment to 
a political subdivision, 
educational institution, 
fire department or qualifying nonprofit organization if it 
1S 
determined 
that 
the 
political 
subdivision, 
educational 
institution, fire department or qualifying nonprofit organization 
has not retained the equipment for the required period of 
'5 
months; 
Sec. 2. 5 MRSA §1813-A, sub-§l. ~C, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 
418, §3, is amended to read: 
c. 
"Qualifying nonprofit organization" means 
a public or 
private nonprofit entity that owns or operates a project or 
facility for the homeless 9rL a nonprofit organization that 
has been determined to be exempt from taxation under the 
United States Internal Revenue Code, 
Section 501 
(c) 
and 
that provides services to persons with physical or mental 
handicaps as defined in section 4553, subsection 7 -A; or a 
nonprofit organization that has been determined to be exempt 
from taxation under the United States Internal Revenue Code, 
Section 501 (c) 
and that contracts with the Department of 
Page l-LR1l25(1) 
Human Services to provide vehicles to low-income families to 
assist them in participating in work, education or training. 
Sec. 3. 5 MRSA §1813-A. sub-§2. as corrected by RR 2001, c. 2, 
Pt. A, §7, is amended to read: 
2. 
Surplus property_ 
Pursuant to this chapter and rules 
adopted under section 1813, the Department of Administrative and 
Financial Services through the Bureau of General Services shall 
allow 
private 
sales 
of 
surplus 
property 
to 
nonprofit 
organizations that contract with the Department of Human Services 
to provide affordable vehicles to low-income families to assist 
them in participating in work, education or training: tQ homeless 
shelter sponsors~ and to educational institutions. 
SUMMARY 
This bill allows nonprofit organizations that contract with 
the Department of 
Human 
Services to help make 
transportation 
available 
to 
low-income 
families 
who 
need 
transportation for 
work, 
education 
or 
training 
to 
participate 
in 
the 
private 
purchase of surplus state vehicles. 
The purpose of the bill is 
to help participating nonprofi ts make vehicles more affordable 
for families.