An Act To Provide Equity for Commercial Vehicles on Roads and Bridges in Maine
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1498
Committee Amendment CA_A_S428 (Senate)
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2354-C

COMMITTEE AMENDMENT " A" to S.P. 460, L.D. 1498, Bill, "An Act To 
Provide Equity for Commercial Vehicles on Roads and Bridges in Maine" 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2354-C, sub-§1, first 1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 119, 
§ § 1 and 2, is further amended to read: 
1. Canadian gross vehicle weight limits. Notwithstanding section 2354, except as 
provided in subsection 5, the Commissioner of Transportation, in consultation with the 
Department of Public Safety and the :Oepartment of the Secretary of State, is authorized 
to allow certain commercial vehicles at Canadian gross vehicle weight limits to travel 
from the United States-Canada border at Calais to Baileyville, from the United States-
Canada border at Madawaska to a paper mill at Madawaska and from the United States-
Canada border at Van Buren to a rail yard in Van Buren. Vehicles are allowed to travel 
from the United States-Canada border under the following conditions. 
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2354-C, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 326, §2, is 
amended to read: 
4. Monitor; report. The Department of Transportation shall monitor and evaluate 
the effects of the allowance under this section on road conditions. The Commissioner of 
Transportation shall submit an initial .1! report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters for presentation to the Seeond 
Regular Session of the 126th Legislature and a final report to the First Regular Session of 
the 129th Legislature by January 1. 2024. The report must include any fmdings regarding 
the effects on road conditions and recommendations for continuance, discontinuance or 
modification of the allowance under this section. The joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters may submit legislation based 
on the findings and recommendations in the report to the Second Regular Session of the 
st Legislature. 
Sec. 3. 29-A MRSA §2354-C, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
Page l -129LR1098(02)-1 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT"(-\" to S.P. 460, L.D. 1498 ( 
• L{d.~ 
5. 
Exemption for wood. After December 31, 2025, the department may not 
authorize under this section the routes identified in subsection 1 for the travel of 
commercial vehicles transporting wood, as defined in Title 10, section 2361-A, 
subsection 11, at Canadian gross vehicle weight limits that exceed the gross vehicle 
weight limits established in this chapter. 
Nothing in this subsection prevents the 
department from authorizing an entity to operate a specified commercial motor vehicle 
configuration on a specified route of travel under section 2354-D.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or 
section number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment does the following: 
1. It states that after December 31, 2025 the Department of Transportation may not 
authorize certain routes from the United States-Canada border to certain points in this 
State for commercial vehicles transporting wood at Canadian gross vehicle weight limits; 
and 
2. It requires the department to submit a report to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters by January 1, 2024 regarding 
the effects on road conditions and recommendations for continuance, discontinuance or 
modification of allowing certain commercial vehicles to travel at Canadian gross vehicle 
weight limits. It allows the joint standing committee to submit legislation based on the 
findings and recommendations in the report to the Second Regular Session of the 131st 
Legislature. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/10/20 feae 
LD 1498 
LR 1098(02) 
An Act To Provide Equity for Commercial Vehicles on Roads and Bridges in Maine 
Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment 'f\' ( S-L\dr)) 
Committee: Transportation 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Minor cost increase - Highway Fund 
Additional costs to the Department of Transportation associated with performing the evaluation and reporting the 
results can be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR1098(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1