An Act To Streamline the Management of Maine's Transportation Infrastructure by Initiating the Process of Terminating the Maine Turnpike Authority
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1890
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: ESPLING
Amends: 23 MRSA §1965, 23 MRSA §1968, 23 MRSA §1978

Legislative Document
No. 1890
H.P. 1322
House of Representatives, March 28, 2018
An Act To Streamline the Management of Maine's Transportation 
Infrastructure by Initiating the Process of Terminating the Maine 
Turnpike Authority
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative ESPLING of New Gloucester.  (GOVERNOR'S BILL)
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  23 MRSA §1965, sub-§1, ¶¶M and N, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 595, 
§3, are amended to read:
M.  Borrow Until October 15, 2018, borrow money, make, issue and sell at public or 
private sale negotiable notes, bonds and other evidences of indebtedness or 
obligations of the authority for the purposes set forth in this chapter and secure the 
payment of that obligation or any part thereof by pledge of all or any part of the 
operating revenues of the turnpike;
N.  Enter Until October 15, 2018, enter into loan or security agreements with one or 
more lending institutions, including, but not limited to, banks, insurance companies 
and pension funds, or trustees for those institutions for purposes for which bonds may 
be issued and to exercise with respect to such loan or security agreements all of the 
powers delineated in this chapter for the issuances of bonds;
Sec. 2.  23 MRSA §1968, sub-§4 is enacted to read:
4.  Prohibition on issuance of bonds.  The authority may not issue any bonds after 
October 15, 2018.
Sec. 3.  23 MRSA §1978, as enacted by PL 1981, c. 595, §3, is amended to read:
§1978.  Termination of the authority
The authority shall not be dissolved until such time as is dissolved on October 15, 
2029.  The authority shall ensure that:
1.  Legislature provide for termination.  The Legislature shall provide for its 
termination; and
2.  Payment of debt, bonds, premiums and interest.  All No later than October 15, 
2028, all bonds, the premium, if any, and the interest thereon shall have been paid or a 
sufficient amount for the payment of all bonds and the interest to maturity or prior 
redemption date thereon shall have has been irrevocably set aside in trust for the benefit 
of the bondholders. and all debts of the authority have been paid; and
3.  Legislation.  No later than November 1, 2028, the authority submits for 
introduction to the First Regular Session of the 134th Legislature a bill to transfer all of 
the duties, responsibilities and assets of the authority to the department and to provide for 
the sale of all unnecessary equipment, buildings and property owned by the authority and 
the removal of all the toll facilities on the turnpike with the exception of the York toll 
facility.  The bill must also include a plan to increase tolls at the York toll facility by $2 
for passenger vehicles and decrease tolls at the same facility by $1 for commercial freight 
vehicles.
Sec. 4.  Submission of plan to Department of Transportation.  No later than 
November 1, 2018, the Maine Turnpike Authority shall provide to the Department of 
Transportation a plan to accomplish the requirements set forth in this Act.
SUMMARY
This bill:
1.  Prohibits the Maine Turnpike Authority from issuing any bonds after October 15, 
2018;
2.  Requires the Maine Turnpike Authority, no later than October 15, 2028, to pay all 
its bonds and debts or to set aside sufficient funds in trust to pay all its bonds and debts;
3.  Requires the Maine Turnpike Authority, no later than November 1, 2018, to 
provide to the Department of Transportation a plan to accomplish the requirements of the 
bill, including the payment of outstanding debt held by the authority;
4.  Requires the Maine Turnpike Authority, no later than November 1, 2028, to 
submit for introduction to the First Regular Session of the 134th Legislature a bill to 
transfer all of the duties, responsibilities and assets of the authority to the department and 
to provide for the sale of all unnecessary equipment, buildings and property owned by the 
authority and the removal of all the toll facilities on the turnpike with the exception of the 
York toll facility.  The bill must also include a plan to increase tolls at the York toll 
facility by $2 for passenger vehicles and decrease tolls at the same facility by $1 for 
commercial freight vehicles; and
5.  Dissolves the Maine Turnpike Authority on October 15, 2029.