An Act to Fund Maine's Snowmobile Trail Programs

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STATE OF MAINE
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IN THE YEAR OF OUR LORD
TWO THOUSAND TWENTY-SIX
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S.P. 631 - L.D. 1547
An Act to Fund Maine's Snowmobile Trail Programs
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §1893, sub-§1, ¶A, as amended by PL 2003, c. 414, Pt. B, §21
and affected by c. 614, §9, is further amended to read:
A. Within available funds, the snowmobile program shall develop and maintain
snowmobile trails and provide educational and informational materials for the use of
operators of snowmobiles. The bureau may charge a reasonable fee for such services
and materials when the money credited to it under chapter 937 is insufficient to satisfy
the demand for those services and materials. All fees collected must be deposited in
the bureau's Snowmobile Trail Fund. The bureau shall administer the Snowmobile
Trail Fund, and the snowmobile program's other activities must be conducted pursuant
to subsection 3. The Snowmobile Trail Fund receives funding as provided in section
10206, subsection 2-A, chapter 937 and Title 36, section 2903‑D, subsection 2.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §10206, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2007, c. 556, §1; PL
2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §§5 and 7; and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24, is further amended to read:
A. After the transfers provided in section 13104, subsection 4 subsection 2-A, the
snowmobile and trail-grooming equipment registration fee for residents collected
under chapter 937 is credited as follows:
(1) Twenty-two percent is credited to the General Fund as undedicated revenue;
(2) Fifty-two percent is credited to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department
of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands; and
(3) Twenty-six percent is annually distributed to the municipality of the owner's
residence as shown on the owner's registration certificate, except that in
unorganized territory, 26% is annually distributed to the county of the owner's
residence as shown on the owner's registration certificate and credited to the
unorganized territory fund of that county established in Title 30‑A, section 7502.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §10206, sub-§2, ¶B, as amended by PL 2007, c. 556, §2; PL
2011, c. 657, Pt. W, §§5 and 7; and PL 2013, c. 405, Pt. A, §24, is further amended to read:
APPROVED
APRIL 13, 2026
BY GOVERNOR
CHAPTER
676
PUBLIC LAW
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B. After the transfers provided in section 13104, subsection 4 subsection 2-A, the
snowmobile registration fee for nonresidents collected under chapter 937 is credited as
follows.
(1) Eighteen percent is credited to the General Fund as undedicated revenue.
(2) Seven percent is credited to the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund established
under section 10258.
(3) The remainder is credited to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department of
Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Sec. 4. 12 MRSA §10206, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:
2-A. Distribution of revenue from snowmobile registrations. Revenues received
for snowmobile registration fees must be disbursed and used as follows.
A. The snowmobile registration fee for residents collected under section 13104,
subsection 4, paragraph A is credited as follows:
(1) For registrations issued July 1st to December 15th of each year, $17 must be
transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund;
(2) For registrations issued July 1st to December 15th of each year, $10 must be
transferred to a special fund administered by the Off-road Recreational Vehicle
Office;
(3) For registrations issued December 16th of each year to June 30th of the
following year, $30 must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund; and
(4) For registrations issued December 16th of each year to June 30th of the
following year, $12 must be transferred to a special fund administered by the Off-
road Recreational Vehicle Office.
B. The snowmobile registration fee for nonresidents collected under section 13104,
subsection 4, paragraph B is credited as follows:
(1) For registrations issued July 1st to December 15th of each year, $21 from each
seasonal registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund;
(2) For registrations issued July 1st to December 15th of each year, $15 from each
seasonal registration fee must be transferred to a special fund administered by the
Off-road Recreational Vehicle Office;
(3) For registrations issued December 16th of each year to June 30th of the
following year, $47 from each seasonal registration fee must be transferred to the
Snowmobile Trail Fund;
(4) For registrations issued December 16th of each year to June 30th of the
following year, $20 from each seasonal registration fee must be transferred to a
special fund administered by the Off-road Recreational Vehicle Office;
(5) Five dollars from each 3-consecutive-day registration fee and 10-consecutive-
day registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund
established under section 10258; and
(6) Fifty-one dollars from each 3-consecutive-day registration fee and $51 from
each 10-consecutive-day registration fee must be transferred to the Department of
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Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and credited in the following manner: $33
must be transferred to the Snowmobile Trail Fund and $18 must be transferred to
a special fund administered by the Off-road Recreational Vehicle Office.
For purposes of this subsection, "Snowmobile Trail Fund" means the Snowmobile Trail
Fund of the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, Bureau of Parks and
Lands as described in section 1893, subsection 1 and "Off-road Recreational Vehicle
Office" means the office established under section 1893.
Funds transferred to a special fund administered by the Off-road Recreational Vehicle
Office pursuant to this subsection must be used to assist an entity that has a snowmobile
trail grooming contract with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry,
Bureau of Parks and Lands in the purchase of trail-grooming equipment. The funds may
also be used for the repair or overhaul of trail-grooming equipment.
Sec. 5. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§4, as corrected by RR 2021, c. 1, Pt. A, §9, is
amended to read:
4. Fee. Except as provided in subsection 5, the annual snowmobile registration fee is
as follows:
A. For residents, for registrations issued July 1st to December 15th of each year, $55;
for registrations issued December 16th of each year to June 30th of the following year,
$70. The registration for a snowmobile owned by a resident is valid for one year,
commencing on July 1st of each year; and
B. For nonresidents:
(1) Seventy-four Ninety-four dollars for a 3-consecutive-day registration. A
person may purchase more than one 3-day registration in any season;
(2) One hundred and nineteen dollars For registrations issued July 1st to December
15th of each year, $119; for registrations issued December 16th of each year to
June 30th of the following year, $150 for a seasonal registration; and
(3) Ninety-nine One hundred nineteen 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.
Ten dollars from each resident registration fee and $15 from each nonresident 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.
Seventeen 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.
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Sixteen dollars from each nonresident 3-day snowmobile registration fee, $16 from each
nonresident 10-day snowmobile registration fee and $21 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.
Five dollars from each nonresident 3-day snowmobile registration fee and 10-day
snowmobile registration fee must be transferred to the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund
established under section 10258.
Sec. 6. 12 MRSA §13104, sub-§4-A is enacted to read:
4-A. Review of snowmobile registration fees and trail maintenance needs. In
consultation with the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry, the
department shall review snowmobile registration fees and maintenance needs of designated
state-approved snowmobile trails in 2028 and 2029 and every 2 years thereafter. The
commissioner shall report the findings and recommendations from the review to the joint
standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and wildlife
matters by February 1st each year a review is required. The committee may report out
legislation related to snowmobile registration fees and maintenance needs of snowmobile
trails to the session of the Legislature in which the report is received.
Sec. 7. 36 MRSA §2903-D, sub-§2, ¶A, as amended by PL 2023, c. 668, §1, is
further amended to read:
A. The Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife receives 13.41% of that
amount, to be used by the commissioner for the purposes set forth in Title 12, section
1893, subsection 3, section 10206, subsection subsections 2 and 2-A, section 13104,
subsections 2 to 10 and section 13105, subsection 1; and
Sec. 8. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and
allocations are made.
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
Off-Road Recreational Vehicles Program Z224
Initiative: Provides one-time funding for the programming and information technology
costs associated with changes to the snowmobile registration system.
OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS 2025-26 2026-27
All Other $0 $230,768
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OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS TOTAL $0 $230,768
Sec. 9. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1, 2027.