‘An Act To Make Permanent the Allowance of Certain Commercial Vehicles between the United States-Canada Border and Certain Points in Maine’
| SP0490 LD 1355 |
First Regular Session - 124th Maine Legislature C "A", Filing Number S-192
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LR 991 Item 2 |
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| Bill Tracking | Chamber Status | ||
Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Make Permanent the Allowance of Certain Commercial Vehicles between the United States-Canada Border and Certain Points in Maine’
Amend the bill by striking out everything after the title and before the summary and inserting the following:
‘Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, rural communities in the State are particularly dependent upon its forest products industries for employment opportunities and, given the current economic climate, the State's lumber and pulp and paper mills are struggling to continue their operations and to keep people employed; and
Whereas, it is important to avoid compromising the State's transportation infrastructure; and
Whereas, in the judgment of the Legislature, these facts create an emergency within the meaning of the Constitution of Maine and require the following legislation as immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety; now, therefore,
Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2354-B, sub-§5, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 421, §1 and affected by §2, is amended to read:
Sec. 2. 29-A MRSA §2354-C is enacted to read:
§ 2354-C. Allow certain commercial vehicles at Canadian weight limits to travel from the United States-Canada border to certain points in the State
(1) A 3-axle truck tractor with a 3-axle semitrailer at a gross vehicle weight of 108,900 pounds; and
(2) A 3-axle truck tractor with a semitrailer-semitrailer combination, configured as a B-train double with 8 axles total, at a gross vehicle weight of 137,700 pounds. The weight of the 2nd semitrailer may not exceed the weight of the first semitrailer.
Sec. 3. Rulemaking; emergency rulemaking authority. No later than July 1, 2009, the Secretary of State in consultation with the Department of Transportation and the Department of Public Safety shall adopt rules to implement this Act. The Secretary of State is authorized to adopt rules on an emergency basis under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, sections 8054 and 8073 in order to implement those provisions of the Act over which the department has subject matter jurisdiction to avoid a threat to public health, safety or general welfare.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.’
SUMMARY
The bill makes permanent the allowance of commercial vehicles at Canadian weight limits to travel from the United States-Canada border at Calais to Baileyville and from the United States-Canada border at Van Buren to a rail yard in Van Buren.
This amendment extends the allowance to commercial vehicles at Canadian weight limits to travel from the United States-Canada border at Madawaska to the Fraser Papers facility or its successor in Madawaska.
The amendment gives the Secretary of State rulemaking authority to implement these provisions and directs the Secretary of State to adopt rules no later than July 1, 2009.
The amendment directs the Department of Transportation to monitor and evaluate the effects of the allowance on road conditions and to report to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters with an initial report to the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature and a final report to the First Regular Session of the 129th Legislature.
The amendment also adds an emergency preamble and emergency clause to the bill.