An Act To Improve the Department of Corrections' Response to Emergency Situations by Including Vehicles Operated by Certain Department Employees in the Definition of Authorized Emergency Vehicles
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 1576
Committee: Transportation
Sponsors: PICKETT, DESCHAMBAULT, COREY, COSTAIN, MORALES, RECKITT, SHARPE, WARREN, ROSEN
Amends: 29-A MRSA §2054

Legislative Document
No. 1576
H.P. 1138
House of Representatives, April 16, 2019
An Act To Improve the Department of Corrections' Response to 
Emergency Situations by Including Vehicles Operated by Certain 
Department Employees in the Definition of Authorized Emergency 
Vehicles
Submitted by the Department of Corrections pursuant to Joint Rule 204.
Reference to the Committee on Transportation suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative PICKETT of Dixfield.
Cosponsored by Senator DESCHAMBAULT of York and
Representatives: COREY of Windham, COSTAIN of Plymouth, MORALES of South 
Portland, RECKITT of South Portland, SHARPE of Durham, WARREN of Hallowell, 
Senator: ROSEN of Hancock.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  29-A MRSA §2054, sub-§1, ¶B, as amended by PL 2017, c. 229, §32, is 
further amended to read:
B.  "Authorized emergency vehicle" means any one of the following vehicles:
(1)  An ambulance;
(2)  A Baxter State Park Authority vehicle operated by a Baxter State Park 
ranger;
(3)  A Bureau of Marine Patrol vehicle operated by a coastal warden;
(4)  A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle operated by 
a forest ranger;
(5)  A Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry vehicle used for 
forest fire control;
(6)  A Department of Corrections vehicle used for responding to the escape of or 
performing the high-security transfer of a prisoner, juvenile client or juvenile 
detainee or operated by an investigative officer or other employee of the 
Department of Corrections who is certified by the Board of Trustees of the Maine 
Criminal Justice Academy as a law enforcement officer;
(7)  A Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife vehicle operated by a warden;
(8)  A Department of Public Safety vehicle operated by a police officer appointed 
pursuant to Title 25, section 2908, a state fire investigator or a Maine Drug 
Enforcement Agency officer;
(9)  An emergency medical service vehicle;
(10)  A fire department vehicle;
(11)  A hazardous material response vehicle, including a vehicle designed to 
respond to a weapon of mass destruction;
(12)  A railroad police vehicle;
(13)  A sheriff's department vehicle;
(14)  A State Police or municipal police department vehicle;
(15)  A vehicle operated by a chief of police, a sheriff or a deputy sheriff when 
authorized by the sheriff;
(16)  A vehicle operated by a municipal fire inspector, a municipal fire chief, an 
assistant or deputy chief or a town forest fire warden;
(17)  A vehicle operated by a qualified deputy sheriff or other qualified 
individual to perform court security-related functions and services as authorized 
by the State Court Administrator pursuant to Title 4, section 17, subsection 15;
(18)  A Federal Government vehicle operated by a federal law enforcement 
officer; 
(19)  A vehicle operated by a municipal rescue chief, deputy chief or assistant 
chief;
(20)  An Office of the Attorney General vehicle operated by a detective 
appointed pursuant to Title 5, section 202;
(21)  A Department of the Secretary of State vehicle operated by a motor vehicle 
detective; and
(22)  A University of Maine System vehicle operated by a University of Maine 
System police officer.
SUMMARY
This bill amends the definition of "authorized emergency vehicle" in the motor 
vehicle laws to include a Department of Corrections vehicle operated by an investigative 
officer or other employee of the department who is certified by the Board of Trustees of 
the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a law enforcement officer.