129th MAINE LEGISLATURE
LD 165 LR 89(02)
An Act To Prohibit the Use of Handheld Phones and Devices While Driving
Fiscal Note for Bill as Amended by Committee Amendment " "
Committee: Transportation
Fiscal Note Required: Yes
             
Fiscal Note
FY 2019-20 FY 2020-21 Projections  FY 2021-22 Projections  FY 2022-23
Appropriations/Allocations
Other Special Revenue Funds $25,285 $77,638 $500 $500
Revenue
Other Special Revenue Funds $77,000 $517,000 $517,000 $517,000
Fiscal Detail and Notes
The bill establishes a restriction on the use of handheld devices and mobile telephones while driving. The penalty for violating this restriction is no less than $50 for the first infraction and no less than $250 for subsequent infractions. Given the effective date of the bill, possible delays in implementing the infraction and time between when a ticket is issued and funds are collected, the judicial branch has estimated that there will be 1,100 infractions in fiscal year 2019-20 and 5,500 infractions in fiscal year 2020-21. Part of the revenues collected from this fine will be used to support one limited-period Assistant Clerk position to process the anticipated increase in traffic infractions and the bill includes allocations of $24,785 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $77,138 in fiscal year 2020-21. The remaining revenues, $37,255 in fiscal year 2019-20 and $357,142 in fiscal year 2020-21, will be credited to the Supplemental Transportation Fund established in the bill. The bill includes Other Special Revenue Funds allocations for the Fund of $500 beginning in fiscal year 2019-20. 
In addition to the fines of $50 and $250, there are several surcharges and fees that will be charged and credited into other funds across state government, including the County Jail Operations Fund, the County Jail Prisoner Support and Community Corrections Fund, the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, the State Police and the Civil Legal Services Fund. In total, an estimated $14,960 will be credited across these funds in fiscal year 2019-20 and an additional $82,720 in fiscal year 2020-21.