An Act To Eliminate Online Burn Permit Fees for All Areas of the State
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1788
Committee Amendment CA_A_S395 (Senate)
Amends: 12 MRSA §9326, 12 MRSA §9327

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A " to S.P. 604, L.D. 1788, Bill, "An Act To 
Eliminate Online Burn Permit Fees for All Areas of the State" 
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following: 
'Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §9326, 3rd ,r, as amended by PL 2017, c. 449, §3, is further 
amended to read: 
A person may apply for a permit to bum using the Internet or as otherwise provided 
in this article. When a person applies for and is issued a permit electronically pursuant to 
this section, a fee of $7 must be paid. From the $7 fee, $4 must be deposited in the 
General Fund, $2 must be transferred to the municipality in which the permit is issued 
and the remainder of $1 must be used to cover administrative costs. For a pennit issued 
in the unorganized and deorganized areas, from the $7 fee, $6 must be deposited in the 
General Fund and the remainder of $1 must be used to cover administrative costs may not 
be charged. 
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §9327, sub-§6, as enacted by PL 2017, c. 449, §4, is amended 
to read: 
6. Private party burn permit software to be provided at no charge. A vendor or 
owner of a private party bum permit software system may net charge a municipality for 
use of private party burn permit software approved under subsection 1. 
Sec. 3. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and 
allocations are made. 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF 
Division of Forest Protection 0232 
Initiative: Provides funding for an online bum permit system from InforME. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" n "to S.P. 604, L.D. 1788 
: . '· t •· . 
GENERAL FUND 
All Other 
GENERAL FUND TOTAL 
2019-20 
$0 
$0 
2020-21 
$9,600 
$9,600 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment clarifies that a person may not be charged a fee to obtain an online 
burn permit. 
The amendment also allows a vendor or owner of a private party burn permit 
software system to charge a municipality for use of private party bum permit software. 
The amendment also adds an appropriations and allocations section. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 02/14/20 frac 
LD 1788 
LR 2340(02) 
An Act To Eliminate Online Burn Permit Fees for All Areas of the State 
'-
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "A' ( S <3 '!S) 
Net Cost (Savings) 
General Fund 
Appropriations/ Allocations 
General Fund 
Revenue 
General Fund 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Committee: Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
FY 2019-20 
FY 2020-21 
$0 
$52,739 
$0 
$9,600 
$0 
($43,139) 
Projections 
FY 2021-22 
$52,739 
$9,600 
($43,139) 
Projections 
FY 2022-23 
$52,739 
$9,600 
($43,139) 
This bill would eliminate the $7 fee the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry (ACF) charges for 
electronically issued burn permits via their online permit system. Cuuently, $4 is deposited into the General Fund, $2 
is transfeued to the municipality where the pennit was issued and $1 goes to InforME for the administrative cost of 
the online permit system. In unorganized areas, $6 of the fee is deposited into the General Fund and $1 is for the 
administrative costs oflnforME. Begim1ing in fiscal year 2020-21, elimination of the fee would reduce annual 
General Fund revenue by $43,139, reduce revenue to municipalities by approximately $20,000 a year and reduce 
revenue available to pay InforME by $9,600. The bill includes an ongoing General Fund appropriation to ACF of 
$9,600 beginning in fiscal year 2020-21 to continue to pay InforME for bum pennits issued through the state online 
system. Municipalities may incur additional costs if the vendor or owner of a private party bum pennit software 
system chooses to impose fees for its use. 
LR2340(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1