123rd MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 1948 LR 3343(03)
An Act To Require a Hearing When a Fatality Results from a Motor Vehicle Accident
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment "     "
Committee: Transportation
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
2007-08 2008-09 Projections 2009-10 Projections 2010-11
Net Cost (Savings)
General Fund $0 $19,200 $19,200 $19,200
Highway Fund $0 $128,474 $107,080 $109,666
Appropriations/Allocations
General Fund $0 $19,200 $19,200 $19,200
Highway Fund $0 $128,474 $107,080 $109,666
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements
Allows administrative appeals to the Superior Court for license revocation by the Secretary of State in certain cases of accident fatalities.  The additional costs associated with a projected minimal caseload can be absorbed by the Judicial Department utilizing existing budgeted resources.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
This bill requires the Secretary of State to conduct hearings for fatal accidents to determine whether to revoke or suspend licenses of the drivers involved.  The Secretary of State reports that in 2006 there were 168 motor vehicle accidents involving a fatality and that the average annual number of fatal motor vehicle accidents over the last 5 years was 174.  The Bureau of Motor Vehicles within the Secretary of State's office will require a Highway Fund allocation of $99,674 in fiscal year 2008-09 for one Hearings Examiner position and related costs and equipment needed to handle the anticipated number, complexity and length of the additional hearings.    
The State Police within the Department of Public Safety will require a General Fund appropriation of $19,200 and a Highway Fund allocation of $28,800 in fiscal year 2008-09 to provide an officer to testify at these hearings.  The estimated appropriation and allocation assumes that one officer per hearing would need to testify for 8 hours at 75% of the hearings and that 80% of the officer's time would be overtime.