An Act To Align State Relocation Assistance with That of the Federal Government
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1318
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: McLEAN
Amends: 23 MRSA §244, 23 MRSA §244-A, 23 MRSA §244-B

Legislative Document
No. 1318
H.P. 915
House of Representatives, April 4, 2017
An Act To Align State Relocation Assistance with That of the 
Federal Government
Submitted by the Department of Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative McLEAN of Gorham.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §244, sub-§1, ¶D, as amended by PL 2005, c. 642, §2, is 
further amended to read: 
D.  Actual reasonable expenses necessary to reestablish a displaced farm, nonprofit 
organization or small business at its new site, in accordance with criteria to be 
established by the department, but not to exceed $20,000 the amount allowed under 
the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies 
Act of 1970, Public Law 91-646, as amended. 
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §244-A, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1989, c. 208, §§13 and 21, 
is further amended to read: 
1.  Owner.  In addition to payments otherwise authorized, the department shall make 
an additional payment not in excess of $22,500 the amount allowed under the federal 
Uniform Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, 
Public Law 91-646, as amended to any displaced person who is displaced from a 
dwelling actually owned and occupied by the displaced person for not less than 180 90 
days prior to the initiation of negotiations for the acquisition of the property.  The 
additional payment shall must include the following elements: 
A.  The amount, if any, which that when added to the acquisition cost of the dwelling 
acquired by the department equals the reasonable cost of a comparable replacement 
dwelling.  All determinations required to carry out this paragraph shall must be made 
in accordance with standards established by the department; 
B.  The amount, if any, which that will compensate the displaced person for any 
increased interest costs and other debt service costs which that person is required to 
pay for financing the acquisition of any such comparable replacement dwelling.  The 
amount shall may be paid only if the dwelling acquired by the department was 
encumbered by a bona fide mortgage which that was a valid lien on the dwelling for 
not less than 180 days prior to the initiation of negotiations for the acquisition of that 
dwelling.  In calculating the amount to be paid under this section, increased interest 
costs and other debt service costs shall must be reduced to discounted present value.  
The payment shall must be an amount which that will reduce the mortgage balance 
on the replacement dwelling to an amount which that could be amortized with the 
same monthly payment for principal and interest as that for the mortgage on the 
displaced dwelling; and 
C.  Reasonable expenses incurred by the displaced person for evidence of title, 
recording fees and other closing costs incident to the purchase of the replacement 
dwelling, but not including prepaid expenses. 
Sec. 3.  23 MRSA §244-B, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1989, c. 208, §§15 and 21, 
is further amended to read: 
1.  Lease or rent.  The amount necessary to enable the displaced person to lease or 
rent for a period not to exceed 42 months, a  comparable replacement dwelling, but not to 
exceed $5,250 the amount allowed under the federal Uniform Relocation Assistance and 
Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970, Public Law 91-646, as amended.  At the 
discretion of the department, a payment under this subsection may be made in periodic 
installments.  Computation of a payment under this subsection to a low-income displaced 
person for a comparable replacement dwelling shall must take into account the person's 
income; or 
SUMMARY 
This bill changes the amount of money the Department of Transportation pays a 
displaced individual due to a property acquisition for a project in which state dollars are 
used as funding.  The bill removes the monetary limit and adds language that would align 
Maine with the amount allowed under the most current version of the federal Uniform 
Relocation Assistance and Real Property Acquisition Policies Act of 1970.  The bill 
applies to payment for moving and related expenses, replacement housing for 
homeowners and replacement housing for tenants and others.