An Act To Amend the Fees for Snowmobile Registrations and To Create the Snowmobile Trail Fund Donation Sticker
Emergency preamble. Whereas, acts and resolves of the Legislature do not become effective until 90 days after adjournment unless enacted as emergencies; and
Whereas, Maine's snowmobile industry is a vital part of the economy and depends on the quantity and quality of the State's snowmobile trails; and
Whereas, the State's snowmobile trails are created and maintained by a volunteer network of snowmobile clubs supported in part by snowmobile registration fees; and
Whereas, these snowmobile clubs are struggling to maintain the snowmobile trail system at current funding levels, and, unless additional funding is provided for snowmobile trail creation and maintenance, the State's snowmobile trails will begin to deteriorate, causing economic hardship throughout the State; and
Whereas, as snowmobile trail creation and maintenance must be planned for and started well before the beginning of the snowmobile season, this Act must take effect prior to 90 days after the adjournment of the Legislature; 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. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§3, as amended by PL 2009, c. 213, Pt. OO, §19, is further amended to read:
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§4, as repealed and replaced by PL 2011, c. 129, §1 and amended by c. 657, Pt. W, §§5 and 7 and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24, is further amended to read:
(1) Forty-three Forty-nine dollars for a 3-consecutive-day registration. A person may purchase more than one 3-day registration in any season; and
(2) Eighty-eight Ninety-nine dollars for a seasonal registration . ; and
(3) Seventy-five dollars for a 10-consecutive-day registration. A person may purchase more than one 10-day registration in any season.
The registration for a snowmobile owned by a nonresident must specify the dates for which the registration is valid.
Five dollars from each registration fee collected pursuant to this subsection must be transferred to a special fund administered by the Off-Road Vehicle Division of the Bureau of Parks and Lands within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry. The funds must be used to assist any entity that has a snowmobile trail grooming contract with the Bureau of Parks and Lands in the purchase of trail-grooming equipment. The funds also may be used for the repair or overhaul of trail-grooming equipment.
Seven Twelve dollars from each resident snowmobile registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Six dollars from each nonresident 3-day snowmobile registration fee, $6 from each nonresident 10-day snowmobile registration fee and $11 from each nonresident seasonal snowmobile registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§17 is enacted to read:
A Snowmobile Trail Fund donation sticker is in addition to and separate from the snowmobile registration requirements of this section.
Sec. 4. Policies for the distribution of Snowmobile Trail Fund revenues; development and review. The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall develop written policies specifying the criteria the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry will use to distribute additional revenues raised pursuant to this act to snowmobile clubs. The policies must distribute the additional revenue to eligible snowmobile organizations using a per mile reimbursement formula. To the extent feasible, the additional revenues must be distributed in a geographically equitable manner.
The Commissioner of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall submit written policies for review to the Joint Standing Committee on Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and that committee may report out a bill to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature pertaining to the distribution of Snowmobile Trail Fund revenues.
Emergency clause. In view of the emergency cited in the preamble, this legislation takes effect when approved.