An Act To Prepare Maine for a Low-carbon Transportation Future
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1257
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: BRYANT, MIRAMANT, COLLINGS, RYKERSON, SHEATS, CHIPMAN, CLAXTON
Amends: 29-A MRSA §101, 29-A MRSA §501

Legislative Document
No. 1257
H.P. 918
House of Representatives, March 14, 2019
An Act To Prepare Maine for a Low-carbon Transportation Future
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative BRYANT of Windham.
Cosponsored by Senator MIRAMANT of Knox and
Representatives: COLLINGS of Portland, McLEAN of Gorham, RYKERSON of Kittery, 
SHEATS of Auburn, Senators: CHIPMAN of Cumberland, CLAXTON of Androscoggin.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §101, sub-§22-B is enacted to read:
22-B.  Electric vehicle.  "Electric vehicle" means a fully electric vehicle that has an 
on-board electrical energy storage device that is designed to be recharged using an 
external energy source or a vehicle that is designed to operate using electricity produced 
from compressed hydrogen fuel.
Sec. 2.  29-A MRSA §501, sub-§13 is enacted to read:
13.  Electric vehicle registration surcharge.  In addition to the payment of other 
applicable registration fees under this section, and except as otherwise provided in this 
subsection, the Secretary of State shall by rule adopted in accordance with this subsection 
require payment of an annual electric vehicle registration surcharge by the owner of an 
electric vehicle.
A.  Except as provided in paragraph B, the annual electric vehicle registration 
surcharge under this subsection must be $25, except that the Secretary of State may 
not require payment of a surcharge under this subsection until the Secretary of State 
determines that at least 3,000 electric vehicles are annually registered pursuant to this 
chapter.
B.  The annual electric vehicle registration surcharge under this subsection must be 
increased to $50 upon a determination by the Secretary of State that at least 10,000 
electric vehicles are annually registered pursuant to this chapter.
C.  Notwithstanding section 409 or any other provision of law to the contrary,  the 
rules adopted under this subsection must provide that the surcharges collected 
pursuant to this subsection must be retained by the municipality that collects the 
surcharges.  No less than 50% of the annual surcharges collected by a municipality 
pursuant to this subsection must be used by the municipality to construct or modify 
public infrastructure that facilitates the charging of electric vehicles for use by the 
general public or for other purposes that encourage or support the purchase and use 
by the general public of electric vehicles.
Sec. 3.  Electric vehicle task force; report.  In accordance with the provisions 
of this section, the Director of the Governor's Energy Office, referred to in this section as 
"the director," in consultation with the Secretary of State and the Commissioner of 
Transportation, shall convene an electric vehicle task force, referred to in this section as 
"the task force."
1.  The director shall invite, at a minimum, representatives of the Office of the 
Secretary of State, the Department of Transportation, environmental and energy 
efficiency advocacy groups and other interested parties to participate on the task force.
2.  The task force shall, at a minimum, examine and make recommendations 
regarding the following matters:
A.  Proposals for increasing the use of electric vehicles by residents of the State, for 
both personal and commercial use;
B.  Proposals for the construction of the electric vehicle infrastructure necessary to 
support increased use of electric vehicles statewide, including, but not limited to, the 
construction of electric vehicle charging stations along primary travel corridors;
C.  Development of 5-year and 10-year electric vehicle action plans based upon the 
electric-vehicle-related goals identified by the task force under paragraphs A and B; 
and
D.  Proposals regarding the use of funds distributed or to be distributed to the State 
pursuant to the Volkswagen Partial Consent Decree to support the electric-vehicle-
related goals identified by the task force under paragraphs A and B.
3.  No later than February 15, 2020, the director shall submit a report regarding the 
findings and recommendations of the task force, including any proposed legislation, to 
the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology and the Joint Standing 
Committee on Transportation.  After reviewing the report, the committees are authorized 
to report out legislation relating to the findings and recommendations in the report to the 
Sec. 4.  Department of Transportation; long-term planning; report.  The 
Commissioner of Transportation shall:
1.  Review short-term and long-term planning and infrastructure investments of the 
Department of Transportation to develop strategies and recommendations to address 
reasonably expected effects of climate change, such as temperature changes, sea level 
rise, increased rainfall and increased water flows; to address increasing numbers of 
electric vehicles, both personal and commercial; and to address increasing use of ride-
sharing and vehicle-sharing services and autonomous vehicles;
2.  Analyze and propose benchmarks for ensuring that an adequate proportion of 
Highway Fund revenue in the future is attributable to sources other than the gasoline tax;
3.  Initiate at least 2 pilot programs to explore and test alternative structures for road 
usage fees, at least one of which must be designed to test a road usage fee based on 
vehicle miles traveled; and
4.  In consultation with the Public Utilities Commission, the Governor's Energy 
Office and other stakeholders as determined by the commissioner, assess the long-term 
potential for assessing fees on electricity and on public electric vehicle charging to raise 
additional Highway Fund revenue.
On or before February 15, 2021, the Commissioner of Transportation shall submit a 
report regarding any findings and recommendations of the Department of Transportation 
following completion of the actions required under this section to the joint standing 
committees of the Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and technology 
matters and transportation matters.  The report must include any proposed legislation 
necessary to implement the recommendations in the report.  After reviewing the report, 
the committees are authorized to report out legislation to implement the findings and 
recommendations in the report to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.
SUMMARY
This bill authorizes the Secretary of State to require the owner of an electric vehicle 
to pay an electric vehicle registration surcharge of $25 per year when at least 3,000 
electric vehicles are annually registered in the State.  The amount of the surcharge 
increases to $50 per year when at least 10,000 electric vehicles are annually registered in 
the State.  The municipality that collects the annual electric vehicle registration surcharge 
is required to expend no less than 50% of the surcharge to construct or modify public 
infrastructure that facilitates the charging of electric vehicles for use by the general public 
or for other purposes that encourage or support the purchase and use by the general public 
of electric vehicles.
The bill also directs the Governor's Energy Office to convene an electric vehicle task 
force, which is charged with reviewing a number of matters relating to electric vehicles 
and electric vehicle infrastructure.  The director of the office is required to report by 
February 15, 2020 to the Joint Standing Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology 
and the Joint Standing Committee on Transportation regarding any recommendations of 
the task force, including proposed legislation.  After reviewing the report, the committees 
may report out legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
The bill also directs the Commissioner of Transportation to take a number of actions 
regarding short-term and long-term planning for road infrastructure and highway funding, 
including a review of potential new vehicle or road use fees.  The commissioner is 
directed to report by February 15, 2021 to the joint standing committees of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over energy, utilities and technology matters and 
transportation matters regarding those actions and including any findings and 
recommendations 
and 
proposed 
legislation 
necessary 
to 
implement 
those 
recommendations.  After reviewing the report, the committees may report out legislation 
to the First Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.