An Act to Add Electric Bicycles to the Electric Vehicle Rebate Program
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 0256
Committee: Energy, Utilities and Technology
Sponsors: DAUGHTRY
Amends: 35-A MRSA §10126

Legislative Document
No. 256
S.P. 122
In Senate, January 24, 2023
An Act to Add Electric Bicycles to the Electric Vehicle Rebate 
Program
Reference to the Committee on Energy, Utilities and Technology suggested and ordered 
printed.
DAREK M. GRANT
Secretary of the Senate
Presented by Senator DAUGHTRY of Cumberland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  35-A MRSA §10126, sub-§1, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1.  "Electric bicycle" has the same meaning as in Title 29-A, section 101, subsection 
22-B.
Sec. 2.  35-A MRSA §10126, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2021, c. 402, §3, is further 
amended to read:
3.  Rebate program established; eligibility.  In accordance with the provisions of this 
section, the trust shall establish and administer a program that provides rebates for the 
purchase or lease of electric vehicles.  A person may apply for and, as resources within the 
fund allow, receive a rebate for an electric vehicle, subject to eligibility requirements 
established by the trust.  Eligibility criteria for the vehicle must include that the vehicle is: 
an electric bicycle, a battery electric vehicle or a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle; purchased, 
or leased from its original equipment manufacturer or an authorized licensee of the original 
equipment manufacturer or a licensed automobile dealer for a term of 36 months or more, 
in the State; and registered in the State if required by Title 29-A, except that a vehicle is 
not eligible if it has a gross vehicle weight rating of 6,000 pounds or less, is not a truck or 
an off-road vehicle and has a manufacturer's suggested retail price greater than $50,000.  
To the extent funds are available, the trust may extend program eligibility to medium duty 
vehicles and heavy duty vehicles that are battery electric vehicles or plug-in hybrid electric 
vehicles.  Eligibility requirements for the recipient of the rebate must include that the 
recipient attests to a commitment to retain ownership, whether through purchase or lease, 
of the eligible electric vehicle for at least 36 months from the date of purchase or lease.  
The trust may require a recipient of a rebate under this section who does not retain 
ownership of the eligible electric vehicle for at least 36 months to repay the trust up to the 
full amount of the rebate.
The trust shall establish the rebate amount for each eligible electric vehicle. The trust shall 
establish rebate amounts that it determines most effectively increase the purchase of 
eligible electric vehicles.  For each model of an eligible electric vehicle, the trust may 
establish different rebate amounts based on the size of the vehicle battery.  The trust may 
establish different rebate amounts for the purpose of providing reasonable opportunity for 
participation in the program across different customer groups and geographic areas.  The 
trust may establish reasonable limits on the number of rebates per vehicle or per person.
SUMMARY
This bill amends Efficiency Maine Trust's electric vehicle rebate program to include 
electric bicycles in the types of electric vehicles that are eligible under the electric vehicle 
rebate program.