‘Sec. 1. 23 MRSA §4209, sub-§1, as amended by PL 2015, c. 182, §2, is further amended to read:
1. Geographic regions. The department shall divide the State into a number of geographic regions for regional distribution of state-administered transportation funds. Upon designation of the geographic regions, a regional public transportation agency must be selected from each region to formulate a quinquennial locally coordinated plan for regional transit in accordance with federal requirements. The department shall select regional public transportation agencies in collaboration with transit stakeholders, including transportation providers, social service organizations, the United States Department of Transportation, Federal Transit Administration and the Public Transit Advisory Council under section 4209-A. The department shall establish a schedule for submittal of the quinquennial locally coordinated plans for regional transit to the department for review and approval in accordance with subsection 2.
A tax-exempt, nonprofit regional public transportation agency selected by the department under this subsection is deemed to be a "transit district" as defined in Title 30-A, section 3501, subsection 1 for the purposes of the Maine Tort Claims Act.’