An Act To Reduce Certain Highway Fund Obligations
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0471
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: CEBRA, THOMAS, CURTIS, CUSHING, GILLWAY, PARRY, RIOUX, ROSEN, SARTY, WILLETTE
Amends: 23 MRSA §4210-C, 23 MRSA §4210-F, 25 MRSA §1509-A

Legislative Document 
No. 471 
H.P. 364 
House of Representatives, February 10, 2011 
An Act To Reduce Certain Highway Fund Obligations 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CEBRA of Naples. 
Cosponsored by Senator THOMAS of Somerset and 
Representatives: CURTIS of Madison, CUSHING of Hampden, GILLWAY of Searsport, 
PARRY of Arundel, RIOUX of Winterport, ROSEN of Bucksport, SARTY of Denmark, 
WILLETTE of Mapleton. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §4210-C, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 457, Pt. GGG, §3, 
is amended to read: 
1.  Establishment of account.  The department shall establish, through the 
Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Office of the State Controller, the 
Marine Highway account, referred to in this section as "the account," in the Highway 
General Fund. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §4210-C, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2005, c. 664, Pt. C, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
2.  Purpose of account.  The purpose of the account is to allow the Highway General 
Fund to provide support to the Maine State Ferry Service that was previously provided by 
the General Highway Fund because ferries are an integral part of the highway system and 
carry motor vehicles and are the only method of vehicular transportation available to and 
from the islands.  The state support to the Marine Highway account may not exceed 50% 
of the budgeted revenues that support the operating cost of the Maine State Ferry Service. 
Sec. 3.  23 MRSA §4210-F is enacted to read: 
§4210-F.  Highway resurfacing and maintenance paving 
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, the same amount of funds 
appropriated from the General Fund to support the Maine State Ferry Service pursuant to 
section 4210-C, subsection 2 must be allocated from the Highway Fund to be used for 
highway resurfacing and maintenance paving. 
Notwithstanding any provision of law to the contrary, an amount representing 16% of 
the total funding for the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police provided 
pursuant to Title 25, section 1509-A must be allocated from the Highway Fund to be used 
for highway resurfacing and maintenance paving. 
Sec. 4.  25 MRSA §1509-A, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 682, §1 and affected by §8, 
is amended to read: 
§1509-A.  Funding 
Beginning in fiscal year 2009-10 2012-13, state funding for the Department of Public 
Safety, Bureau of State Police must be provided as follows: 
1.  Highway Fund.  Forty-nine Thirty-three percent must be allocated from the 
Highway Fund pursuant to Title 23, section 1653; and 
2.  General Fund.  Fifty-one Sixty-seven percent must be appropriated from the 
General Fund. 
Sec. 5.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect July 1, 2012. 
SUMMARY 
This bill: 
1.  Changes the state funding support for the Maine State Ferry Service from the 
Highway Fund to the General Fund; 
2.  Decreases the portion of the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police 
funding provided by the Highway Fund from 49% to 33% and increases the portion of 
funding provided by the General Fund from 51% to 67%; and 
3.  Provides that the amount of savings to the Highway Fund due to the transfer of 
support of the Maine State Ferry Service from the Highway Fund to the General Fund 
and due to the reduction of funding, from 49% to 33%, from the Highway Fund to 
support the Bureau of State Police must be used for highway resurfacing and maintenance 
paving.