An Act Relating to Penalties for Drug Offenses
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1647
Committee Amendment CA_B_S426 (Senate)
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2451, 29-A MRSA §2508

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" f>" to S.P. 672, L.D. 1647, Bill, "An Act Relating 
to Penalties for Drug Offenses" 
Amend the bill in section 1 in § 1125 in subsection 1 in the first line (page 1, line 5 in 
L.D.) by inserting after the following: "order" the following: ', in the absence of 
compelling circumstances warranting an exception,' 
Amend the bill in section 1 in §1125 in subsection 2 in the 3rd line (page 1, line 9 in 
L.D.) by inserting after the following: "order" the following: ', in the absence of 
compelling circumstances warranting an exception,' 
Amend the bill in section 2 in paragraph A in subparagraph (2) in the first line (page 
1, line 17 in L.D.) by inserting after the following: "days" the following: '. If the court 
finds compelling circumstances warranting an exception to the 180-day suspension 
period, the court shall order suspension of the person's driver's license for 150 days' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 2 the following: 
'Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2451, sub-§3, 1A, as repealed and replaced by PL 2015, c. 
329, Pt. A, §17, is amended to read: 
A. One hundred Mt;< rigb!y days, if the person has one OUI conviction within a 10-
year period. If the court finds compelling circumstances warranting an exception to 
the 180-day suspension period, the court shall order a suspension period of 150 days;' 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 3 the following: 
'Sec. 4. 29-A MRSA §2508, sub-§1, 1A-1, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 389, §3 
and affected by §7, is amended to read: 
A-1. The license of a person with one OUI offense may be reinstated after 30 days of 
the suspension period has run if the person has installed for a period of -1-W 180 days 
or the length of time remaining for a suspension imposed pursuant to section 2411, 
subsection 5, paragraph A, subparagraph (2), whichever is shorter, an ignition 
interlock device approved by the Secretary of State in the motor vehicle the person 
operates. If the 180-day period applies to the person and the court finds compelling 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
-~oi 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" 6 "to S.P. 672, L.D. 1647 
circumstances warranting an exception to the 180-day period, the court shall order a 
period of 150 days. 
Sec. 5. Appropriations and allocations. 
The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
Administration - Motor Vehicles 0077 
Initiative: Provides a one-time allocation for computer programming. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOT AL 
2015-16 
$0 
$0 
2016-17 
$5,568 
$5,568 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment is one of 2 minority reports of the committee. The bill increases the 
driver's license suspension period from 150 days to 180 days for a person who is 
convicted of operating under the influence and who has no previous operating under the 
influence convictions within the prior 10 years. The bill imposes a license suspension 
period or period of ineligibility for a license of 6 months for a person who is convicted of 
a drug crime under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 17-A, chapter 45, except for such a 
crime under section 1116. This amendment makes the change from 150 to 180 days in 2 
other provisions of operating under the influence law. The amendment adds to several 
provisions of the bill an exception based on compelling circumstances found by the court. 
In the case of a drug conviction under Title 17-A, chapter 45, this exception could negate 
the suspension completely. In the case of an operating under the influence conviction, 
this exception could decrease the suspension period to 150 days. 
This amendment adds an allocation for the cost of computer programming 
necessitated by the changes made to the bill. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/18/16 fea~ 
LD 1647 
LR2649(03) 
An Act Relating to Penalties for Drug Offenses 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment '13' 's-L(Z,6 ") 
Committee: Criminal Justice and Public Safety 
\..-:: 
/ 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
Highway Fund 
Revenue 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements 
Increases workload with no effect on fines or fees 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2015-16 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
$0 
FY 2016-17 
($22,500) 
($121,932) 
$5,568 
$22,500 
$127,500 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
($22,500) 
($127,500) 
$0 
$22,500 
$127,500 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
($22,500) 
($127,500) 
$0 
$22,500 
$127,500 
The bill includes a one-time Highway Fund allocation to the Department of Secretary of State of $5,568 in fiscal year 
2016-17 for computer programming charges. The bill would increase the number of driver's license restorations, 
increasing General Fund and Highway Fund revenue by $22,500 and $127,500, respectively, beginning in fiscal year 
2016-17. 
LR2649(03) - Fiscal Note - Page I of I