An Act To Reduce Fuel Costs to State and Local Government
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 0093
Committee: State and Local Government
Sponsors: MIRAMANT, COOPER, JACKSON, LIBBY, DEVIN, MARTIN, PARRY
Amends: 5 MRSA §1812-E, 30-A MRSA §911, 30-A MRSA §5731

Legislative Document
No. 93
S.P. 41
In Senate, January 17, 2017
An Act To Reduce Fuel Costs to State and Local Government
Reference to the Committee on State and Local Government suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox.
Cosponsored by Representative COOPER of Yarmouth and
Senators: JACKSON of Aroostook, LIBBY of Androscoggin, Representatives: DEVIN of 
Newcastle, MARTIN of Eagle Lake, PARRY of Arundel.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §1812-E, as enacted by PL 1991, c. 207, is amended to read: 
§1812-E.  Purchasing of vehicles; fuel efficiency 
Except for cars and light duty trucks purchased for law enforcement and other special 
use purposes as designated by the State Purchasing Agent, the The State Purchasing 
Agent or any other department or agency of the State that has purchasing authority may 
not purchase or lease any car or light duty truck for use by the State or any department or 
agency of the State unless: the car has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating 
of at least 45 miles per gallon and the light duty truck has a manufacturer's estimated 
highway mileage rating of at least 35 miles per gallon. 
1.  1993 standards.  Beginning January 1, 1993, the car has a manufacturer's 
estimated highway mileage rating of at least 30 miles per gallon and the light duty truck 
has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 24 miles per gallon; 
2.  1997 standards.  Beginning January 1, 1997, the car has a manufacturer's 
estimated highway mileage rating of at least 38 miles per gallon and the light duty truck 
has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 30 miles per gallon; and 
3.  2000 standards.  Beginning January 1, 2000, the car has a manufacturer's 
estimated highway mileage rating of at least 45 miles per gallon and the light duty truck 
has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 35 miles per gallon. 
For the purposes of this section, the terms "car" means a vehicle classified as a car 
and "light duty truck" have the same meaning as in the federal Department of Energy 
Publication DOE/CE-0019/10, or any successor publication means a vehicle classified as 
a truck for the purposes of the fuel economy information published by the United States 
Department of Energy pursuant to 49 United States Code, Section 32908(c)(3). 
Sec. 2.  30-A MRSA §911 is enacted to read: 
§911.  County purchase of vehicles; fuel efficiency 
Beginning January 1, 2018, a board of county commissioners or a department or 
agency of a county that has purchasing authority may not purchase or lease any car or 
light duty truck for use by the county or a department or agency of the county unless the 
car has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 45 miles per gallon 
and the light duty truck has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 
miles per gallon. For the purposes of this section, "car" means a vehicle classified as a 
car and "light duty truck" means a vehicle classified as a truck for the purposes of the fuel 
economy information published by the United States Department of Energy pursuant to 
United States Code, Section 32908(c)(3). 
Sec. 3.  30-A MRSA §5731 is enacted to read: 
§5731.  Municipal purchase of vehicles; fuel efficiency 
Beginning January 1, 2018, a municipality or a department or agency of a 
municipality that has purchasing authority may not purchase or lease any car or light duty 
truck for use by the municipality or a department or agency of the municipality unless the 
car has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 45 miles per gallon 
and the light duty truck has a manufacturer's estimated highway mileage rating of at least 
miles per gallon. For the purposes of this section, "car" means a vehicle classified as a 
car and "light duty truck" means a vehicle classified as a truck for the purposes of the fuel 
economy information published by the United States Department of Energy pursuant to 
United States Code, Section 32908(c)(3). 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the law regarding state government purchases of cars and light duty 
trucks with respect to fuel efficiency requirements. The bill removes the current 
exception from the fuel efficiency requirement for vehicles purchased for law 
enforcement and other special use purposes.  The bill also establishes fuel efficiency 
requirements, at the same level as the state requirements, for county and municipal 
government purchases of cars and light duty trucks.