An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1692
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McLEAN, GILLWAY, HARRINGTON, LONGSTAFF, WHITE, DILL, JACKSON, MIRAMANT
Amends: 29-A MRSA §456, 29-A MRSA §456-A, 29-A MRSA §456-B, 29-A MRSA §456-C, 29-A MRSA §456-D, 29-A MRSA §456-E, 29-A MRSA §456-G, 29-A MRSA §468, 29-A MRSA §562, 29-A MRSA §1411, 29-A MRSA §2458

Legislative Document
No. 1692
H.P. 1172
House of Representatives, December 22, 2017
An Act To Amend the Motor Vehicle Laws
Submitted by the Secretary of State pursuant to Joint Rule 203.
Received by the Clerk of the House on December 19, 2017.  Referred to the Committee on 
Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McLEAN of Gorham.
Cosponsored by Representatives: GILLWAY of Searsport, HARRINGTON of Sanford, 
LONGSTAFF of Waterville, WHITE of Washburn, Senators: DILL of Penobscot, JACKSON 
of Aroostook, MIRAMANT of Knox.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §456, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 645, Pt. A, §2 and 
affected by §18, is further amended to read:
1.  University of Maine System plate.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an 
application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, 
the registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the administrative fee and 
voluntary contribution provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate 
and a set of University of Maine System registration plates to be used in lieu of regular 
registration plates.  These plates must bear identification numbers and letters.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §456, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  University of Maine System plates may be issued for a motor 
vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A motor vehicle that 
exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 504.
Sec. 3.  29-A MRSA §456-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2009, c. 435, §2, is 
further amended to read:
1.  Lobster plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an application and 
evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, the annual 
motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the contribution 
provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of lobster 
special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.  These plates 
must bear identification numbers and letters.  The Secretary of State may issue lobster 
plates to certain state-owned vehicles in accordance with section 517.
Sec. 4.  29-A MRSA §456-A, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  Lobster special registration plates may be issued for a motor 
vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A motor vehicle that 
exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 504.
Sec. 5.  29-A MRSA §456-A, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2015, c. 473, §§5 and 6, 
is repealed.
Sec. 6.  29-A MRSA §456-B, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2001, c. 623, §4, is 
amended to read:
1.  Maine Black Bears plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an application 
and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, the annual 
motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the contribution 
provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of Maine Black 
Bears special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.  These 
plates must bear identification numbers and letters.
Sec. 7.  29-A MRSA §456-B, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  Maine Black Bears special registration plates may be issued for 
a motor vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A motor vehicle 
that exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 504.
Sec. 8.  29-A MRSA §456-B, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2007, c. 383, §4, is 
repealed.
Sec. 9.  29-A MRSA §456-C, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2013, c. 496, §4, is 
further amended to read:
1.  Sportsman registration plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an 
application and evidence of payment of the registration fee required by section 501 or 
section 504 and the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, shall issue a registration 
certificate and a set of sportsman plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.  
These plates must bear identification numbers and letters.  Vanity plates may not 
duplicate vanity plates issued in another class of plate.  The Secretary of State shall begin 
issuing sportsman registration plates by April 1, 2008.  Sportsman vanity plates are issued 
in accordance with this section and section 453.
Sec. 10.  29-A MRSA §456-C, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  Sportsman registration plates may be issued for a motor vehicle 
that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A motor vehicle that exceeds 
6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 504.
Sec. 11.  29-A MRSA §456-D, sub-§1, as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 
703, §7, is amended to read:
1.  We Support Our Troops plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an 
application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, 
the registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the administrative fee and 
contribution provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of 
We Support Our Troops plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates.  These 
plates must bear identification numbers and letters.
Sec. 12.  29-A MRSA §456-D, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  We Support Our Troops plates may be issued for a motor 
vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A motor vehicle that 
exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 504.
Sec. 13.  29-A MRSA §456-D, sub-§6, as repealed and replaced by PL 2007, c. 
703, §7, is repealed.
Sec. 14.  29-A MRSA §456-E, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 547, §2, is 
amended to read:
1.  Breast cancer support services plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an 
application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, 
the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the 
contribution provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of 
breast cancer support services special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular 
registration plates.  These plates must bear identification numbers and letters.
Sec. 15.  29-A MRSA §456-E, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  Breast cancer support services special registration plates may be 
issued for a motor vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A 
motor vehicle that exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 
504.
Sec. 16.  29-A MRSA §456-E, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 547, §2, is 
repealed.
Sec. 17.  29-A MRSA §456-G, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 73, §1, is 
amended to read:
1.  Support Animal Welfare plates.  The Secretary of State, upon receiving an 
application and evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section 1482, 
the annual motor vehicle registration fee required by section 501 or section 504 and the 
contribution provided for in subsection 2, shall issue a registration certificate and a set of 
Support Animal Welfare special registration plates to be used in lieu of regular 
registration plates.
Sec. 18.  29-A MRSA §456-G, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:
1-A.  Weight limit.  Support Animal Welfare special registration plates may be 
issued for a motor vehicle that does not exceed 26,000 pounds registered weight.  A 
motor vehicle that exceeds 6,000 pounds registered weight is subject to the fees in section 
504.
Sec. 19.  29-A MRSA §456-G, sub-§8, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 73, §1, is 
repealed.
Sec. 20.  29-A MRSA §468, sub-§8, as amended by PL 2007, c. 383, §5, is 
further amended to read:
8.  Weight limit.  A specialty license plate may be issued for an automobile or 
pickup truck that does not exceed 10,000 26,000 pounds registered weight.
Sec. 21.  29-A MRSA §468, sub-§9, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 383, §5, is 
amended to read:
9.  Limit on authorization.  The Secretary of State shall retire and cease to issue any 
plate authorized after January 1, 2007 upon the occurrence of the earlier of: if the number 
of registrations falls below 4,000 for more than one year.
A.  When the number of sets of the plate issued falls below 4,000 for more than one 
year; and
B.  Ten years after the date of authorization.
Sec. 22.  29-A MRSA §562, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 598, §24, is 
repealed and the following enacted in its place:
3.  Powers and duties.  The board may advise the Secretary of State on matters 
related to motor carrier safety, including advising the Secretary of State on a 
methodology for the Secretary of State to use to review motor carriers for the purpose of 
suspending carriers with adverse safety records.
The board shall hold a hearing upon the appeal of a motor carrier whose privilege to 
operate a commercial motor vehicle has been suspended by the Secretary of State upon 
the recommendation of the bureau or whose privilege to operate a commercial motor 
vehicle has been suspended by the Secretary of State pursuant to section 2458, subsection 
2, paragraph V.  The board's decision must include a recommendation that the Secretary 
of State uphold, modify or rescind the suspension.  The hearing must be conducted in 
accordance with the Maine Administrative Procedure Act.
Sec. 23.  29-A MRSA §562, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 1995, c. 376, §3, is 
amended to read:
4.  Rules.  The board may adopt rules pursuant to the Maine Administrative 
Procedure Act to carry out the purposes of this section.  Rules adopted by the board may 
include authorizing the bureau to suspend a motor carrier's privilege to operate a 
commercial motor vehicle upon the bureau's review of the safety record of the motor 
carrier.
Sec. 24.  29-A MRSA §1411, as enacted by PL 2007, c. 251, §1, is repealed.
Sec. 25.  29-A MRSA §2458, sub-§2, ¶T, as amended by PL 2007, c. 438, §3, is 
further amended to read:
T.  Has failed to comply with the provisions of Title 36, chapter 459; or
Sec. 26.  29-A MRSA §2458, sub-§2, ¶U, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 433, §24 
and affected by §28, is amended to read:
U.  Has failed to provide the information required in section 401, subsection 2.; or
Sec. 27.  29-A MRSA §2458, sub-§2, ¶V is enacted to read:
V.  Has exceeded the motor carrier adverse safety limits established by the Secretary 
of State using the methodology developed pursuant to section 562, subsection 3.
Sec. 28.  Effective date.  Those sections of this Act that repeal and replace the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 29-A, section 562, subsection 3 and amend Title 29-A, 
section 562, subsection 4 take effect January 1, 2019.
SUMMARY
This bill increases the maximum registered weight of a vehicle eligible for specialty 
plates from 10,000 pounds to 26,000 pounds.  It also makes the Motor Carrier Review 
Board an appellate board for decisions of the Secretary of State relative to motor carrier 
safety suspensions and clarifies that the Secretary of State may suspend a motor carrier 
with an adverse safety history pursuant to the methodology the Secretary of State adopts 
based on the recommendations of the board.  It removes the requirement that specialty 
plates authorized after January 1, 2007 be retired after 10 years regardless of the number 
of active plates.  The bill also corrects an inadvertent omission made during the technical 
processing of Public Law 2017, chapter 27.