An Act To Amend Maine's Motor Vehicle Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1483
Committee Amendment CA_A_S367 (Senate)
Amends: 3 MRSA §959, 29-A MRSA §755, 29-A MRSA §1256, 36 MRSA §1484, 36 MRSA §3202

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A" to S.P. 581, L.D. 1483, Bill, "An Act To 
Amend Maine's Motor Vehicle Laws" 
Amend the bill by inserting after the title and before the enacting clause 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, the 90-day period may not terminate until after the beginning of the next 
fiscal year; and 
Whereas, certain obligations and expenses incident to the operation of state 
departments and institutions will become due and payable immediately; 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,' 
Amend the bill by inserting after the enacting clause and before section 1 the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 3 MRSA §959, sub-§1, ,o, as amended by PL 2013, c. 505, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
0. 
The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over 
transportation matters shall use the following schedule as a guideline for scheduling 
reviews: 
( 1) Maine Turnpike Authority in 2021; 
(2) The Bureau of Motor Vehicles within the Department of the Secretary of 
State in 2015; 
(3) The Department of Transportation in~ 2017; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" A "to S.P. 581, L.D. [483 
(4) Maine State Pilotage Commission in 2017.' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 4. 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 11 and 12 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 11. 29-A MRSA §755, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 1993, c. 683, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by Pt. B, §5, is amended to read: 
3. Suspension. The Secretary of State may suspend the certificate of registration of 
a vehicle reported stolen or converted. Uatil the Seeretary of State learHs of that vehiele's 
reeovery or that the report of theft or eoffi'ersioa Vlas erroaeol:ls, the Seeretary sf State 
may aot issl:le a eertifieate of title or eertifieate of sal•;age for the 1,•ehlele. 
Sec. 12. 29-A MRSA §1256, first ,r, as amended by PL 2013, c. 606, §1, is 
further amended to read: 
A person who has reaehed .!§. 15 years of age and who has successfully completed a 
driver education course and passed an examination for operation of a motor vehicle as 
provided in section 1301 may be issued a special restricted license based on educational, 
employment or medical need without the person's having held a permit for a period of 6 
months as required by section 1304, subsection 1, paragraph H, subparagraph (1) as 
follows. 
Sec. 13. 29-A MRSA §1256, sub-§2-A, as enacted by PL 2013, c. 606, §4, is 
amended to read: 
2-A. Medical need. A person seeking to qualify for a special restricted license 
based on medical need must file an application. The Secretary of State may grant a 
person who has reaehed !§. 15 years of age a special restricted license under circumstances 
of medical necessity that are experienced by the person or a member of the person's 
immediate family if the Secretary of State determines the circumstances to be exigent and 
not inconsistent with the interest of highway safety and if that person has completed a 
minimum of ~ 70 hours of driving, including .§. 10 hours of night driving, while 
accompanied by a parent, guardian or licensed driver at least 20 years of age. A persoa 
issl:led a speeial restrieted lieease ffil:lst eomplete a miaiffil:lm of 35 additional hol:lrs of 
driving, iaell:ldiag 5 additioaal hol:lfs of aight driYiag, v;hile aeeompaaied ey a pareat, 
gl:lardiaa or lieeased driver at least 20 years of age ia order to qualify for a provisional 
lieease withol:lt restrietioa. The Secretary of State may reduce the required minimum 
hours of driving under this subsection if the secretary determines a reduction is not 
inconsistent with the interest of highway safety. 
A. An application must include: 
(1) A signed, notarized statement from a physician attesting to the existence of 
circumstances of medical necessity; and 
(2) A signed, notarized statement from the applicant or the applicant's parent or 
guardian that: 
(a) No readily available alternative means of transportation exists; and 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT "A "to S.P. 581, L.D. 1483 
(b) Use of a motor vehicle is necessary for transportation in connection with 
circumstances of medical necessity that are experienced by the person or a 
member of the person's immediate family. 
B. A special restricted license issued pursuant to this subsection only authorizes the 
holder to operate a motor vehicle between the holder's residence and school and 
locations necessitated by the circumstances of medical necessity unless accompanied 
by a licensed driver who meets the requirements of section 1304, subsection 1, 
paragraph E, subparagraphs (1) to (4).' 
Amend the bill by striking out all of sections 17 to 21. 
Amend the bill by inserting after section 23 the following: 
'Sec. 24. 36 MRSA §1484, sub-§3, 1B, as amended by PL 2007, c. 627, §33, is 
further amended to read: 
B. The excise tax on a motor vehicle owned by a nonresident individual must be paid 
in the place where the owner is temporarily or occasionally residing. If there is no 
such residing place, the tax must be paid to the Secretary of State and credited to the 
Highway Fund. 
Sec. 25. 36 MRSA §3202, sub-§2-C, as amended by PL 2011, c. 644, § 11, is 
further amended to read: 
2-C. IFTA governing documents. "IFTA governing documents" means the IFTA 
Articles of Agreement, the IFTA Audit Manual and the IFTA Procedures Manual, as 
amended as ofDeeember31. 2011 July 15, 2015. 
Sec. 26. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
Administration - Motor Vehicles 0077 
Initiative: Provides funding for the approved reorganization of one Business Manager I 
position to a Motor Vehicles Section Manager position. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOT AL 
Administration - Motor Vehicles 0077 
2015-16 
$4,434 
$207 
$4,641 
2016-17 
$10,457 
$488 
$10,945 
Initiative: Provides funding for the approved reclassification of one Public Service 
Manager I position to a Public Service Manager II position. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"~ "to S.P. 581, L.D. 1483 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOT AL 
Administration - Motor Vehicles 0077 
2015-16 
$2,456 
$115 
$2,571 
2016-17 
$13,260 
$618 
$13,878 
Initiative: Provides funding for the approved reorganization of one Office Assistant II 
position to a Customer Representative Associate II-MV position. 
HIGHWAY FUND 
Personal Services 
All Other 
HIGHWAY FUND TOT AL 
SECRETARY OF STATE, DEPARTMENT OF 
DEPARTMENT TOTALS 
HIGHWAY FUND 
DEPARTMENT TOTAL-ALL FUNDS 
Amend the bill by adding before the summary the following: 
2015-16 
$5,239 
$244 
$5,483 
2015-16 
$12,695 
$12,695 
2016-17 
$14,233 
$644 
$14,877 
2016-17 
$39,700 
$39,700 
'Emergency clause. 
In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this 
legislation takes effect when approved.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment strikes the provision of the bill that clarifies that a registration plate 
may not be obscured by a plate frame or covering or other device that prevents the plate 
from being read visually or electronically. 
This amendment strikes from the bill the repeal of the provision of law that allows a 
person who has reached 15 years of age to obtain a special restricted license based on 
educational, employment or medical need without having held a learner's permit for a 
period of 6 months. Under current law, a person who is 15 years of age to 20 years of age 
can obtain a special restricted license. 
The amendment instead limits the special 
restricted license only to a person who is 15 years of age. Current law provides that a 
person seeking to qualify for a special restricted license based on educational or 
employment need must complete a minimum of 70 hours of driving, including 10 hours 
of night driving. The amendment increases the minimum driving time required of a 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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COMMIITEE AMENDMENT .. p. "to S.P. 581, L.D. 1483 
person who is seeking to qualify for a special restricted license based on medical need 
from 35 hours to 70 hours, including 10 hours of night driving instead of the current 5 
hours. The amendment gives the Secretary of State discretion to reduce the required 
minimum hours of driving for a person seeking to qualify for a special restricted license 
based on medical need. 
The amendment also strikes from the bill the provisions that require antique autos and 
antique motorcycles manufactured after 1991 to be subject to biennial inspection. 
The amendment strikes the requirement in current law that the Secretary of State may 
not issue a certificate of title or certificate of salvage for a vehicle reported stolen or 
converted until the Secretary of State learns of that vehicle's recovery or that the report of 
theft or conversion was erroneous. This is an obsolete requirement as the Department of 
the Secretary of State, Bureau of Motor Vehicles works with insurance companies and 
salvage companies when issuing certificates on vehicles reported stolen. 
The amendment changes the year the Department of Transportation is reviewed 
pursuant to the State Government Evaluation Act from 2015 to 2017. 
Current law provides that the excise tax on a motor vehicle owned by a nonresident 
with no temporary or occasional residing place in the State must be paid to the Secretary 
of State. This amendment provides that the excise tax paid to the Secretary of State by a 
nonresident with no temporary or occasional residing place in the State must be credited 
to the Highway Fund. 
The amendment clarifies that the term "IFTA governing documents" under the 
Special Fuel Tax Act refers to International Fuel Tax Agreement documents amended as 
of July 15, 2015 rather than December 31, 2011. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section and an 
emergency preamble and emergency clause. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
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Approved: 02/19/16 
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LD 1483 
LR 2332(02) 
An Act To Amend Maine's Motor Vehicle Laws 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 1A
11{S-~ 1) 
Committee: Transportation 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
""',ltff~~· 
FY 2015-16 
FY 2016-17 
Projections 
FY 2017-18 
Projections 
FY 2018-19 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Appropriations/Allocations 
Highway Fund 
Revenue 
General Fund 
Highway Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
$38,428 
($25,733) 
$12,695 
($38,428) 
$38,428 
$230,568 
($190,868) 
$39,700 
($230,568) 
$230,568 
$230,568 
($189,729) 
$40,839 
($230,568) 
$230,568 
$230,568 
($189,556) 
$41,012 
($230,568) 
$230,568 
The bill includes a Highway Fund allocation of $12,695 in fiscal year 2015-16 and $39,700 in fiscal year 2016-17 to 
the Department of Secretary of State for position reorganizations. The bill also proposes to change the crediting of 
excise tax from nonresidents from the General Fund to the Highway Fund and would increase Highway Fund revenue 
by $3 8 ,428 in fiscal year 2015-16 and $230,568 in fiscal year 2016-17 with a c01Tesponding decrease in General Fund 
revenue. 
LR2332(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1