An Act To Transition State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets to 100 Percent Zero-emission Vehicles
Maine Legislature, Session 130, LD 1579
Committee Amendment CA_A_S484 (Senate)
Amends: 5 MRSA §1830, 20-A MRSA §5401, 25 MRSA §2918, 30-A MRSA §125, 30-A MRSA §3111, 35-A MRSA §10104

COMMITTEE AMEND1\1ENT" A-" to S.P. 456, L.D. 1579, "An Act To Transition 
State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets to 100 Percent Zero-emission Vehicles" 
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following: 
'An Act To Transition State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets to Plug-in Hybrid 
Vehicles and Zero-emission Vehicles' 
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the enacting clause and inserting the 
following: 
'Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §1830, sub-§12 is enacted to read: 
12. Vehicle emissions goals. The Central Fleet Management Division and the 
Department of Public Safety in acquiring by purchase or lease and managing light-duty 
motor vehicles shall to the extent practicable do so in a manner designed to meet the 
following goals: 
A. By 2025, increase the percentage of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and zero-
emission vehicles acquired annually to 50% of the annual acquisitions of light-duty 
motor vehicles; and 
B. By 2030, increase the percentage of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and zero-
emission vehicles acquired annually to 100% of the annual acquisitions of light-duty 
motor vehicles. 
For purposes of this subsection, "light-duty motor vehicle" means any vehicle with a gross 
vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds and "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" has 
the same meaning as in Title 35-A, section 10126, subsection 1, paragraph D. 
Sec. 2. 20-A MRSA §5401, sub-§15, 1C, as amended by PL 2005, c. 2, Pt. D, §18 
and affected by § § 72 and 7 4 and c. 12, Pt. WW, § 18, is further amended to read: 
C. A school board may obtain a short-term loan or enter into a lease-purchase 
agreement to acquire school buses if the loan is approved by the unit's legislative body 
or if funds that can be used for the initial lease-purchase payment have been 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
f 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" ~• to S.P. 456, L.D. 1579 ( S-y '£ L\) 
appropriated by the unit's legislative body. The term of a loan or a lease-purchase 
agreement may not exceed 5 years except that the term may be up to 15 years for zero-
emission school buses. The commissioner shall establish a maximum amount for 
annual-term purchases in excess of the amount established in paragraph A. Beginning 
in fiscal year 2005-06, these expenditures must be subsidized in accordance with 
chapter 606-B. 
Sec. 3. 20-A MRSA §5401, sub-§15-A is enacted to read: 
15-A. Zero-emission public school bus fleet goal. The commissioner in approving 
school bus purchases, contracts and leases under subsection 15 shall to the extent 
practicable grant such approvals in a manner designed to result by 2035 in at least 75% of 
annual school bus acquisitions being zero-emission vehicles. 
The department shall adopt rules to implement this subsection. Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A. 
Sec. 4. 25 MRSA §2918 is enacted to read: 
§2918. Vehicle emissions goals 
The Department of Public Safety in acquiring and managing light-duty motor vehicles 
shall do so in accordance with Title 5, section 1830, subsection 12. 
Sec. 5. 30-A MRSA §125, sub-§2 is enacted to read: 
2. Vehicle emissions goals. In acquiring by purchase or lease light-duty motor 
vehicles a county shall to the extent practicable do so in a manner designed to increase by 
2035 the percentage of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and zero-emission vehicles acquired 
annually to 100% of the annual acquisitions of light-duty motor vehicles. 
For purposes of this subsection, "light-duty motor vehicle" means any vehicle with a gross 
vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds and "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" has 
the same meaning as in Title 35-A, section 10126, subsection 1, paragraph D. 
Sec. 6. 30-A MRSA §3111 is enacted to read: 
§3111. Vehicle emissions goals 
In acquiring by purchase or lease light-duty motor vehicles a municipality shall to the 
extent practicable do so in a manner designed to increase by 2035 the percentage of plug-
in hybrid electric vehicles and zero-emission vehicles acquired annually to 100% of the 
annual acquisitions of light-duty motor vehicles. 
For purposes of this section, "light-duty motor vehicle" means any vehicle with a gross 
vehicle weight rating of less than 10,000 pounds and "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" has 
the same meaning as in Title 3 5-A, section 10126, subsection 1, paragraph D. 
Sec. 7. 35-A MRSA §10104, sub-§4, ,rF, as repealed and replaced by PL 2021, c. 
209, §1, is amended by amending subparagraph (8) to read: 
(8) Promoting the purchase of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid electric 
vehicles to achieve by 2030 the goal of at least 120,000 220,000 such vehicles 
registered in the State. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
ff 
~. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" Jt-" to S.P. 456, L.D. 1579 ( S -L\ t) Y_) 
For the purposes of this subparagraph, "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle" has the 
same meaning as in section 10126, subsection 1, paragraph D. 
Sec. 8. Working group convened. The Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, 
as established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, section 3102, shall convene an 
interagency working group, referred to in this section as "the working group," to develop a 
plan to achieve the increase established in Title 20-A, section 5401, subsection 15-A for 
zero-emission school buses. 
The working group must, at a minimum, consist of 
representatives from the Governor's Energy Office, as established under Title 2, section 9, 
the Department of Education, the Department of Transportation, the Department of 
Environmental Protection, the Public Utilities Commission and the Efficiency Maine Trust 
and at least one member representing school administrative units. 
1. Duties. In developing the plan, the working group shall: 
A. 
Review different types of zero-emission school buses and the benefits and 
challenges associated with the different technologies; 
B. Review options for financing the acquisition of zero-emission school buses in a 
cost-effective manner for school administrative units; 
C. Engage electric utilities and other private entities that have an interest in partnering 
with school administrative units to acquire zero-emission school buses; 
D. Engage school administrative units and other stakeholders in planning for the 
deployment of charging infrastructure to support zero-emission school buses; and 
E. Assess the need for training and education that school administrative units will 
require to maintain zero-emission school buses. 
2. Report. The working group shall submit its plan and report with findings and 
recommendations, including suggested legislation, to the joint standing committee of the 
Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters no later than December 7, 2022. 
Following receipt and review of the report, the committee may submit a bill concerning the 
subject matter of the report to the First Regular Session of the 131st Legislature.' 
Amend the bill by relettering or renumbering any nonconsecutive Part letter or section 
number to read consecutively. 
SUMMARY 
This amendment replaces the bill. It replaces the specific emissions reduction goals 
with goals for specific percentages of annual state vehicle purchases and leases to be plug-
in hybrid electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles. The amendment sets a goal applicable 
to the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Bureau of General Services, 
Central Fleet Management Division and the Department of Public Safety, combined, of 
50% of light-duty motor vehicle acquisitions being plug-in hybrid electric vehicles and 
zero-emission vehicles by 2025 and 100% by 2030. The amendment sets a goal for public 
school buses that 75% of annual purchases, contracts and leases approved by the 
Commissioner of Education must be zero-emission vehicles by 203 5. The amendment 
changes the county and municipality light-duty motor vehicle acquisition goal to 100% 
plug-in hybrid electric vehicles or zero-emission vehicles by 2035. 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
& 
~ 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT" IJ-" to S.P. 456, L.D. 1579 ( S- l( &'l-1) 
The amendment also establishes that the term of a loan or lease-purchase agreement 
for zero-emission school buses entered into by a school board may be up to 15 years. 
The amendment also changes the composition and charge of the working group. It 
requires the Office of Policy Innovation and the Future to convene the working group, as 
opposed to the Governor's Energy Office, and changes the working group's charge to the 
development of a plan to transition to 75% of school bus purchases, contracts and leases to 
zero-emission vehicles by 2035. The amendment requires the inclusion of the Governor's 
Energy Office, the Department of Environmental Protection and at least one member 
representing school administrative units in the working group. 
The amendment also updates one of the goals applicable to Efficiency Maine Trust's 
triennial plan by increasing the number of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid 
electric vehicles registered in Maine from 120,000 to 220,000 by 2030. 
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED 
(See attached) 
COMMITTEE AMENDMENT 
Approved: 03/24/22 ;w-ac::,. 
LD 1579 
LR 1876(02) 
An Act To Transition State and Local Motor Vehicle Fleets to 100 Percent Zero-emission Vehicles 
'Fiscal Detail and Notes 
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "/f' l S -Lt_ yy_ \ 
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology 
\ J 
Fiscal Note Required: Yes 
Fiscal Note 
Potential future biennium cost increase - General Fund 
Potential future biennium cost increase - Highway Fund 
Potential future biennium cost increase - Counties and Municipalities 
This bill requires the Commissioner of Education to approve the purchase, lease or contracting of school buses to the 
extent practicable in a manner that would result in at least 75% of annual school bus acquisitions being zero-emission 
vehicles by 2035. According to the department, zero-emission school buses are more expensive to purchase than the 
school buses that use gas or diesel. To the extent that the commissioner approves the purchase of 100% zero-emission 
school buses and no additional funds are provided, fewer buses will be approved. To the extent that the commissioner 
does not find it practicable to approve the purchase of 100% zero-emission school buses, the goal specified in the bill 
may not be realized. 
The bill sets the Department of Public Safety and Central Fleet Management Division goals for annual purchases or 
leases of light-duty motor vehicles at 50% plug-in hybrid electric or zero-emission by 2025 and at 100% by 2030. To 
the extent that such vehicles are more expensive than internal combustion powered vehicles by the dates required, 
costs will increase from the new standards. However, the bill's provision that the standards be met only if practicable 
will allow the agencies some flexibility in implementation. 
The bill sets the county and municipality light duty truck annual acquisition goal at 100% plug-in hybrid-electric or 
zero-emission vehicles by 2035. Again, this is only to the extent practicable. So counties and municipalities can avoid 
the likely increased costs by deciding to phase in compliance as budgets allow. 
Any additional costs to the Departments of Environmental Protection, Education and Transportation, the Efficiency 
Maine Trust, the Governor's Office of Policy Innovation and the Future, the Governor's Energy Office and the Public 
Utilities Commission as a result of participation in the interagency working group are anticipated to be minor and can 
be absorbed within existing budgeted resources. 
LR1876(02) - Fiscal Note - Page 1 of 1