An Act To Provide for Registration of Certain Snowmobile Trail-grooming Equipment
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 0231
Committee Amendment CA_A_H157 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §10203, 12 MRSA §10206, 12 MRSA §13113

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 
Act 
To 
Provide 
for 
Registration 
Trail-grooming Equipment" 
170, L.D. 231, Bill, "An 
of 
Certain 
Snowmobile 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting 
clause and before the summary and inserting in its place the 
following: 
. Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §10203, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2003, c. 
414, Pt. A, §2 and affected by c. 614, §9, is amended to read: 
5. 
Snowmobiles 
and 
trail-qroominq 
equipment. 
Money 
relating to 
snowmobile 
and trail-grooming equipment 
laws 
and 
rules must be collected and expended in accordance with section 
1893, subsection 3 and section 10206, subsection 2. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10206, sub-§2, as affected by PL 2003, c. 
614, §9 and amended by c. 655, Pt. B, §48 and affected by §422, 
is further amended to read: 
2. 
Snowmobile and trail-qroominq equipment revenues. 
The 
Legislature shall appropriate to the department in each fiscal 
year an amount equal to the administrative CO:3ts incurred by the 
department in collecting revenue under this subsection. 
The 
department' s 
administrative 
costs 
must 
be 
verified 
by 
the 
Department of Conservation and the Department of Administrative 
and Financial Services. 
Page l-LR0949(2) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "n" to H.P. 170, L.D. 231 
A. 
The snowmobile and trail-grooming equipment registration 
fee for residents collected under chapter 937 is credited as 
follows: 
(1) 
Twenty-two percent is credited to the General Fund 
as undedicated revenue; 
(2) 
Fifty-two percent is credited to the Snowmobile 
Trail Fund of the Department of Conservation, Bureau of 
Parks and Lands; and 
(3) 
Twenty-six percent is annually distributed to the 
municipali ty of the owner's residence as shown on the 
owner's 
registration 
certificate, 
except 
that 
in 
unorganized territory, 26% is annually distributed to 
the county of the owner's residence as shown on the 
owner's registration certificate and credited to the 
unorganized territory fund of that county established 
in Title 30-A, section 7502. 
B. 
The 
snowmobile 
registration 
fee 
for 
nonresidents 
collected under chapter 937 is credited as follows. 
(1) 
Eighteen percent is credited to the General Fund 
as undedicated revenue. 
(2) 
Seven 
percent 
is 
credited 
to 
the 
Snowmobile 
Enforcement Fund established under section 10258. 
(3) 
The remainder is credited to the Snowmobile Trail 
Fund of the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks 
and Lands. 
D. 
The annual fee for each snowmobile dealer number plate 
issued pursuant to section 13109 is credited as follows: 
(1) 
Thirty percent is credited to the General Fund as 
undedicated revenue; and 
(2) 
Seventy percent is credited to the 
Snowmobile 
Trail Fund of the Department of Conservation, Bureau of 
Parks and Lands. 
E. 
All money received under the 
prov~s~ons of this Part 
relating to snowmobiles, including chapter 937, other than 
that credited pursuant to paragraphs 
A to 
D, 
including 
snowmobile dealer license fees, is credited to the General 
Fund as undedicated revenue. 
Sec.3. 12 MRSA §13113 is enacted to read: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ",1" to H.P. 170, L.D. 231 
§13113. 
Registration of trail-grooming equipment 
1. 
Definitions. 
For 
purposes 
of 
this 
section, 
"trail-grooming eguipment" means a self-propelled vehicle that: 
A. 
Has a minimum weight of 1,200 pounds: 
B. Exceeds 60 inches in width: 
C. Is driven by a track or tracks in contact with the snow: 
and 
D. 
Is 
performing 
winter 
trail 
leveling or compacting snow by use 
attachments that include but are 
compactor bars or trail drags. 
maintenance 
by 
plowing, 
of a front plow 0r rear 
not limited to rollers , 
2. 
Operating unregistered trail-grooming egyipment. 
Except 
as 
proyided 
in 
this 
section, 
a 
person 
may 
not 
operate 
trail-grooming eguipment on a snowmobile trail that is financed 
in whole or in part by the Snowmobile Trail Fund unless that 
trail-grooming eguipment is registered in accordance with this 
section. 
A. 
A 
registration 
is 
not 
reguired 
for 
trail-grooming 
eguipment operated on land on which the owner liyes or on 
land on which the owner is domiciled, if the trail-grooming 
eguipment is not operated elsewhere within the jurisdiction 
of this State. 
B. 
A 
registration 
is 
not 
reguired 
for 
trail-grooming 
eguipment operated by a commercial ski area for the purpose 
of 
packing 
snow 
or 
for 
rescue 
operation, 
unless 
the 
trail-grooming eguipment is reguired to cross a public way 
during that operation. 
c. 
Trail-grooming eguipment 
owned 
and 
operated by 
the 
Federal Government, the State or a political subdivision of 
the State is exempt from registration fees, but must be 
registered and is reguired to display the registration. 
3. 
A2Plication and issuance. 
The commissioner may register 
trail-grooming eguipment upon application by the owner if the 
owner is an organization that has 
an 
approved contract for 
snowmobile trail grooming with the Department of Conservation, 
Bureau of Parks and Lands, Off Road Vehicle Division or a person 
that 
can 
provide 
proof 
to 
the 
department 
at 
the 
time 
of 
application that the person is 
a 
member 
of 
an organization 
eligible 
to 
register 
trail-grooming 
equipment 
under 
this 
section. 
The commission€r mco.-.' establish procec.'·.cres neC'2ssar-,-
to 
carry out the purposes of this section. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "~,, to H.P. 170, L.D. 231 
4. 
Form of registration. 
The 
trail-grooming equipment 
registration must 
be 
in such 
form 
as 
the 
commissioner 
may 
determine. 
5. 
Fee. 
The registration fee for trail-grooming equipment 
is a one-time fee of $33. 
The registration fee is valid from the 
date of issuance until the date that the equipment is sold or 
transferred. 
Revenue 
from the registration fee is allocated 
according to section 10206. subsection 2. paragraph A. 
6. 
Fraudulent ac!1Uisition of trail--grooming registration. 
A person may not obtain a trail-grooming equipment registration 
through fraud. misstatement or misrepresentation. 
7. 
Penalty. 
The following penalties apply to violations of 
this section. 
A. 
A person who violates this section commits 
a civil 
violation for which a fine of not less than $100 nor more 
than $500 may be adjudged. 
B. 
A person who violates this section after having been 
adjudicated as having committed 3 or more civil violations 
under this Part within the previous 5-year period commits a 
Class E crime.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and prohibits the use of 
snowmobile trail-grooming equipment on snowmobile trails unless 
that 
equipment 
is 
registered. 
It 
defines 
"trail-grooming 
equipment" and limits those eligible to register trail-grooming 
equipment to organizations that have an approved contract with 
the Department of Conservation or a person who can show proof of 
membership in such an organization. 
This amendment establishes a 
one-time registration fee of $33 and provides that revenue from 
the registration of trail-grooming equipment be allocated in the 
same manner as revenue from snowmobile registrations. 
It also 
provides 
an exception to the registration requirement, 
under 
certain conditions, 
for 
landowners, 
commercial ski areas 
and 
federal, 
state 
and 
local 
governmental 
units. 
Finally, 
the 
amendment makes it a civil violation to fraudulently obtain a 
trail-grooming equipment registration or to operate unregistered 
trail-grooming equipment on a snowmobile trail. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 04/05/05 ~ae 
LD231 
LR 0949(02) 
An Act To Provide for Registration of Certain Snowmobile Trail-grooming Equipment 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'ft' 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Minor revenue increase - Other Special Revenue Funds 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Establishes a new civil violation and Class E crime. 
The collection of additional fmes may increase General Fund revenue by minor amounts. 
LR0949(2) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1