KLS Keeping Law Simple Legislation in plain English

Straight-ahead summaries built from the official bill text. We keep the source links front and center and leave the decision up to you.

Back to Maine

LD1659 • 2025

An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles

An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles

Taxes
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Representative Benjamin Hymes
Last action
2025-05-20
Official status
Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles

An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles Sponsor: Representative Benjamin Hymes Reference committee: Transportation Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles Sponsor: Representative Benjamin Hymes Reference committee: Transportation Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-05-20 Senate

    Pursuant to Joint Rule 310.3 Placed in Legislative Files (DEAD)

  2. 2025-05-13 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP

  3. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Work Session Held

  4. 2025-05-07 Committee

    Voted; ONTP

  5. 2025-04-15 House

    Committee on HOUSING AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT suggested and ordered printed. On motion of Representative GERE of Kennebunkport, the Bill was REFERRED to the Committee on TRANSPORTATION . Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

  6. 2025-04-15 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on Electric Vehicles
Sponsor:
Representative Benjamin Hymes
Reference committee:
Transportation
Latest committee action:
Reported Out; ONTP

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
Printed on recycled paper
132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1659
H.P. 1100 House of Representatives, April 15, 2025
An Act to Raise Revenue to Fund Firefighting Equipment Purchases
and Training Related to Electric Vehicle Fires Through a Fee on
Electric Vehicles
Reference to the Committee on Housing and Economic Development suggested and
ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative HYMES of Waldo.
Cosponsored by Senator CYRWAY of Kennebec and
Representatives: GUERRETTE of Caribou, LANCE of Paris, LEMELIN of Chelsea.

Page 1 - 132LR1407(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 5 MRSA §3374 is enacted to read:
3§3374. Electric Vehicle Firefighting Fund
41. Fund established. The Electric Vehicle Firefighting Fund, referred to in this section
5 as "the fund," is established as a nonlapsing fund that is administered by the commission
6 to provide funds to fire departments in the State to purchase equipment and provide training
7 related to electric vehicle fires.
82. Grant program. The commission shall establish criteria to award grants to fire
9 departments from the fund. The commission may adopt rules to implement this subsection.
10 Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5,
11 chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
123. Procedure. A fire department may apply to the commission for a grant. The
13 commission shall evaluate each application pursuant to the criteria developed in subsection
14 2 and, to the extent funds are available, shall award grants from the fund to support the
15 purchase of equipment or training related to electric vehicle fires.
16Sec. 2. 36 MRSA c. 727 is enacted to read:
17CHAPTER 727
18ELECTRIC VEHICLE FEE
19§4961. Electric vehicle fee
201. Fee imposed. A fee of $250 is levied upon the sale in this State of a new or used
21 battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle by a dealer. For purposes of this
22 chapter, "dealer" has the same meaning as in Title 29-A, section 851, subsection 2. For
23 purposes of this subsection, "battery electric vehicle" and "plug-in hybrid electric vehicle"
24 have the same meaning as in Title 35-A, section 10126, subsection 1, paragraphs A and D,
25 respectively.
262. Collection of revenue. On or before the 15th day of each month, the Secretary of
27 State shall collect on behalf of the State Tax Assessor the revenue received by the dealer
28 pursuant to subsection 1. The revenue collected must be deposited into the Electric Vehicle
29 Firefighting Fund established by Title 5, section 3374.
30SUMMARY
31 This bill establishes the Electric Vehicle Firefighting Fund to provide funds to fire
32 departments in the State to purchase equipment and provide training related to electric
33 vehicle fires. The bill also establishes a fee of $250 on the sale of new and used electric
34 vehicles by a dealer. The bill requires revenue from the fee to be collected by the Secretary
35 of State on behalf of the State Tax Assessor and deposited into the Electric Vehicle
36 Firefighting Fund.
31
32
33
34
35
36