An Act To Provide Funding for the State Transit, Aviation and Rail Transportation Fund
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 0597
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: COLLINS, CEBRA, DIAMOND, MAZUREK, PARRY, RIOUX, THERIAULT
Amends: 23 MRSA §1807, 23 MRSA §4210-B

Legislative Document 
No. 597 
S.P. 180 
In Senate, February 17, 2011 
An Act To Provide Funding for the State Transit, Aviation and Rail 
Transportation Fund 
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed. 
JOSEPH G. CARLETON, JR. 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator COLLINS of York. 
Cosponsored by Representative CEBRA of Naples and 
Senator: DIAMOND of Cumberland, Representatives: MAZUREK of Rockland, PARRY of 
Arundel, RIOUX of Winterport, THERIAULT of Madawaska. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1807, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 681, §1, is amended 
to read: 
4.  Lapse of program funds.  The annual amount available for distribution under this 
section may not exceed 2.5% of the annual funding dedicated for the Urban-Rural 
Initiative Program.  All funds not distributed each year under this section lapse to the 
Highway Fund. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §1807, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 681, §1, is amended 
to read: 
5.  Distribution of funds.  Beginning July 1, 2003, the The department shall increase 
an Urban-Rural Initiative Program payment for a municipality that applies under 
subsection 1 on a dollar-for-dollar basis.  After the total of qualifying applications for 
reimbursement exceeds the annual amount available for distribution provided under 
subsection 4, funds must be apportioned according to the amount of each municipality's 
increase of qualifying expenditures, ridership or other factors determined by the 
department. 
Sec. 3.  23 MRSA §4210-B, sub-§7, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 677, §1, is 
amended to read: 
7.  Sales tax revenue.  Beginning July 1, 2009 2012 and every July 1st thereafter, the 
State Controller shall transfer to the STAR Transportation Fund an amount, as certified 
by the State Tax Assessor, that is equivalent to 50% 100% of the revenue from the tax 
imposed on the value of rental for a period of less than one year of an automobile 
pursuant to Title 36, section 1811 for the first 6 months of the prior fiscal year after the 
reduction for the transfer to the Local Government Fund under Title 30-A, section 5681, 
subsection 5.  Beginning on October 1, 2009 2012 and every October 1st thereafter, the 
State Controller shall transfer to the STAR Transportation Fund an amount, as certified 
by the State Tax Assessor, that is equivalent to 50% 100% of the revenue from the tax 
imposed on the value of rental for a period of less than one year of an automobile 
pursuant to Title 36, section 1811 for the last 6 months of the prior fiscal year after the 
reduction for the transfer to the Local Government Fund.  The tax amount must be based 
on actual sales for that fiscal year and may not consider any accruals that may be required 
by law.  The amount transferred from General Fund sales and use tax revenues does not 
affect the calculation for the transfer to the Local Government Fund. 
Sec. 4.  Effective date.  This Act takes effect July 1, 2012. 
SUMMARY 
This bill removes the cap on the annual amount available for distribution under the 
transit bonus payment program, which is currently set at 2.5% of the annual funding 
dedicated for the Urban-Rural Initiative Program. 
It also increases from 50% to 100% the transfer to the STAR Transportation Fund of 
revenue from the tax imposed on the value of rental of an automobile.