An Act To Keep Maine's Transportation Infrastructure Safe by Providing More Sources of Revenue for the Highway Fund
Maine Legislature, Session 128, LD 1226
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: COLLINS
Amends: 29-A MRSA §501, 36 MRSA §1489

Legislative Document
No. 1226
S.P. 417
In Senate, March 30, 2017
An Act To Keep Maine's Transportation Infrastructure Safe by 
Providing More Sources of Revenue for the Highway Fund
Submitted by the Department of Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator COLLINS of York.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §501, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 206, §4, is further 
amended to read: 
1.  Automobiles; pickup trucks.  The fee for an automobile, a pickup truck 
registered for 6,000 pounds or less or a sport utility vehicle used for the conveyance of 
passengers or interchangeably for passengers or property is $35 except that the fee for a 
hybrid vehicle is $250 and the fee for an electric vehicle is $350.  The fee for a pickup 
truck registered for more than 6,000 pounds but no more than 10,000 pounds is $37. 
As used in this subsection, "hybrid vehicle" means a motor vehicle that uses 2 or more 
distinct types of power for purposes of propulsion. 
As used in this subsection, "electric vehicle" means a vehicle that uses one or more 
electric motors for propulsion. 
An automobile or sport utility vehicle used for the conveyance of passengers or property 
is a "combination" vehicle and may be issued a special plate with the word "combination" 
instead of "Vacationland."  A passenger vehicle used under contract with the State, a 
municipality or a school district to transport students must be designated as 
"combination."  A vehicle owned or operated by parents or legal guardians is exempt 
from this subsection. 
Commercial plates may not be issued for or displayed on an automobile. 
A sport utility vehicle may be registered either as an automobile or a truck.  A sport 
utility vehicle with a gross vehicle weight or combined gross vehicle weight in excess of 
10,000 pounds and used in the furtherance of a commercial enterprise must be registered 
as a truck according to its actual gross weight as provided in section 504. 
The gross weight of a pickup truck registered as provided by this subsection may not 
exceed 10,000 pounds.  An owner of a pickup truck who operates the pickup truck with a 
gross weight in excess of 10,000 pounds or the pickup truck drawing a semitrailer with a 
combined gross weight in excess of 10,000 pounds must register the truck as provided in 
section 504. 
A combination of vehicles consisting of a motor vehicle and a camp trailer is not required 
to be registered for the gross weight of the combination. 
Beginning July 1, 2009, $10 of the fee must be transferred on a quarterly basis by the 
Treasurer of State to the TransCap Trust Fund established by Title 30-A, section 6006-G. 
Sec. 2.  36 MRSA §1489, as amended by PL 1985, c. 459, Pt. C, §12, is further 
amended to read: 
§1489.  Crediting and apportionment of tax received 
1.  Municipal excise tax account.  In municipalities the treasurer shall credit money 
received from excise taxes to an excise tax account, from which it may and, except as 
provided in subsection 3, funds from that account must be appropriated by the 
municipality for any purpose for which a municipality may appropriate money for 
maintenance or improvement of transportation infrastructure. 
3.  Portion for Highway Fund.  The treasurer, in municipalities, and the Secretary of 
State or agents appointed by the Secretary of State with respect to the unorganized 
territory, shall deposit the excise tax collected pursuant to section 1484, subsection 3 on 
trucks or truck tractors that haul trailers and that are registered for more than 26,000 
pounds to the Highway Fund.  If a treasurer in a municipality or the Secretary of State 
with respect to the unorganized territory fails to make the deposit required by this 
subsection, the Department of Transportation may withhold payments due a municipality 
or county pursuant to Title 23, section 1803-B. 
SUMMARY 
This bill identifies 3 revenue sources to increase funding to the Highway Fund for 
transportation infrastructure. 
This bill: 
1.  Imposes an annual registration fee of $250 on hybrid vehicles and $350 on electric 
vehicles instead of the annual $35 fee imposed on other passenger vehicles; 
2.  Requires municipalities to spend revenue they collect from excise taxes on 
transportation projects within their municipality; and 
3.  Diverts from municipalities to the Highway Fund the excise tax collected on 
trucks and truck tractors that haul trailers.