An Act To
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 0716
Committee Amendment CA_A_H338 (House)
Amends: 12 MRSA §13104

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,,~ " to H.P. 492, L.D. 716, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend the Fees for Snowmobile Registration" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Amend the Fees for Snowmobile Registrations and To Create the 
Snowmobile Trail Fund Donation Sticker' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and 
inserting the following: 
'Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not 
become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and 
Whereas, Maine's snowmobile industry is a vital part of the economy and depends 
on the quantity and quality of the State's snowmobile trails; and 
Whereas, the State's snowmobile trails are created and maintained by a volunteer 
network of snowmobile clubs supported in part by snowmobile registration fees; and 
Whereas, these snowmobile clubs are struggling to maintain the snowmobile trail 
system at current funding levels, and, unless additional funding is provided for 
snowmobile trail creation and maintenance, the State's snowmobile trails will begin to 
deteriorate, causing economic hardship throughout the State; and 
Whereas, as snowmobile trail creation and maintenance must be planned for and 
started well before the beginning of the snowmobile season, this Act must take effect 
prior to 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature; and 
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within 
the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as 
immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, 
therefore, 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
lO 
1,9 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT ,A "to H.P. 492, L.D. 716 
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. 00, §19, 
is further amended to read: 
3. Form of registration. The snowmobile registration must be in such form as the 
commissioner may determine except that the commissioner shall develop a single form of 
registration that can be used for ei:theF the 3-day, lO-day or seasonal nonresident 
registrations. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2011, c. 129, 
§1 and amended by c. 657, Pt. W, §§5 and 7 and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24, is further 
amended to read: 
4. Fee. Except as provided in subsection 5, the annual snowmobile registration fee is 
as follows: 
A. For residents, ~ 
$45. The registration for a snowmobile owned by a resident is 
valid for one year, commencing on July 1 st of each year; and 
B. For nonresidents: 
(1) Forty three Forty-nine dollars for a 3-consecutive-day registration. A person 
may purchase more than one 3-day registration in any season; ana 
(2) Eighty eight Ninety-nine dollars for a seasonal registration,:,: and 
(3) Seventy-five dollars for a lO-consecutive-day registration. A person may 
purchase more than one 1 O-day registration in any season. 
The registration for a snowmobile owned by a nonresident must specify the dates for 
which the registration is valid. 
Five dollars from each registration fee collected pursuant to this subsection must 1?e 
transferred to a special fund administered by the Off-Road Vehicle Division of the 
Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry. 
The ftmds must be used to assist any entity that has a snowmobile trail 
grooming contract with the Bureau of Parks and Lands in the purchase of trail-grooming 
equipment. The ftmds also may be used for the repair or overhaul of trail-grooming 
equipment. 
Se¥eB: Twelve dollars from each resident snowmobile registration fee must be transferred 
to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands. 
Six dollars from each nonresident 3-day snowmobile registration fee, $6 from each 
nonresident 10-day snowmobile registration fee and $11 from each nonresident seasonal 
snowmobile registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands. 
Sec.3. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§17 is enacted to read: 
17. Snowmobile Trail Fund Donation Sticker Program. The commissioner shall 
establish the Snowmobile Trail Fund Donation Sticker Program.:. The commissioner shall 
design and issue 3 different Snowmobile Trail Fund donation stickers to reflect a donor's 
donation of $25, $50 and $lOO, respectively. For every donation $2 is retained by the 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to H.P. 492, L.D. 716 
department and the remainder is transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the 
Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands. 
A Snowmobile Trail Fund donation sticker is in addition to and separate from the 
snowmobile registration requirements of this section. 
Sec. 4. Policies for the distribution of Snowmobile Trail Fund revenues; 
development and review. 
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and 
Forestry shall develop written policies specifying the criteria the Department of 
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will use to distribute additional revenues raised 
pursuant to this act to snowmobile clubs. The policies must distribute the additional 
revenue to eligible snowmobile organizations using a per mile reimbursement formula. 
To the extent feasible, the additional revenues must be distributed in 'a geographically 
equitable manner. 
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall submit written 
policies for review to the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and 
that committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 127th 
Legislature pertaining to the distribution of Snowmobile Trail Fund revenues. 
Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill and changes the title. It does the following. 
1. 
It increases the resident snowmobile registration fee from $40 to $45 and 
dedicates the $5 increase to the Snowmobile Trail Fund. 
2. It increases the 3-day nonresident snowmobile registration fee from $43 to $49 
and dedicates the $6 increase to the Snowmobile Trail Fund. 
3. It increases the nonresident seasonal snowmobile registration fee from $88 to $99 
and dedicates the $11 increase to the Snowmobile Trail Fund. 
4. It creates a 10-day nonresident snowmobile registration fee and sets the fee at $75, 
of which $6 is dedicated to the Snowmobile Trail Fund. 
5. 
It directs the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife to create the 
Snowmobile Trail Fund Donation Sticker Program and to create donation stickers to 
reflect a donor's donation of $25, $50 and $100, respectively, of which $2 is retained by 
the department and the remainder is transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund. The 
donation stickers are not a part of or associated with the State's snowmobile registration 
requirements. 
6. It adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause, making the legislation 
effective upon approval. 
7. It directs the Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop 
written policies specifying the criteria the department will us to distribute additional 
revenues raised pursuant to this amendment to snowmobile clubs and to submit those 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to H.P. 492, L.D. 716 
policies for review to the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife no 
later than January 15, 2016. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Revenue 
Revised: 06/05/15 
::Wac:.. 
LD 716 
LR 1210(02) 
An Act To Amend the Fees for Snowmobile Registration 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment ,~( H 
~ $.?~ ) 
Committee: Inland Fisheries and Wildlife 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor revenue increase - General Fund 
Minor cost increase - General Fund 
FY 2015-16 
FY 2016-17 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
Other Special Revenue Funds 
$493,719 
$493,719 
$493,719 
$493,719 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
The bill increases the annual snowmobile registration fee on residents by $5, nonresident 3-consecutive-day 
registrations by $6 and nonresident seasonal registrations by $11. The bill directs revenue from these fee increases to 
the Snowmobile Trail Fund (STF) within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The bill 
establishes a nonresident lO-consecutive-day snowmobile registration at $75 each. This bill also establishes donation 
stickers of $25, $50 and $100 with proceeds going to the STF after deducting $2 for the Department ofInland 
Fisheries and Wildlife (IFW). Any additional revenue to the General Fund, STF and IFW from the donation stickers 
and nonresident 10-consecutive-day snowmobile registration is expected to be minor. The estimated Other Special 
Revenue Funds revenue increase from raising snowmobile registrations fees is $493,719 in fiscal year 2015-16 and in 
every subsequent fiscal year. Additional costs to the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry from 
submitting written policies specifying criteria used to distribute this revenue are expected to be minor. 
LR1210(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1