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LD807 • 2025

An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes

An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes

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Active

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

Sponsor
Representative Gary Drinkwater
Last action
2025-04-29
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 Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes

An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes Sponsor: Representative Gary Drinkwater Reference committee: Transportation Latest committee action: Reported Out; ONTP

What This Bill Does

  • An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes Sponsor: Representative Gary Drinkwater 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. 2025-04-29 Senate

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

  2. 2025-04-23 Committee

    Reported Out; ONTP

  3. 2025-04-17 Committee

    Work Session Held

  4. 2025-04-17 Committee

    Voted; ONTP

  5. 2025-03-21 House

    Carried over, in the same posture, to the next special or regular session of the 132nd Legislature, pursuant to Joint Order SP 519.

  6. 2025-02-27 Committee

    Referred to Committee on Transportation.

Official Summary Text

An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes
Sponsor:
Representative Gary Drinkwater
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 REGULAR SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 807
H.P. 514 House of Representatives, March 4, 2025
An Act to Limit the Number of Free Motor Vehicle Registrations
That May Be Provided to a Disabled Veteran and Reimburse
Municipalities for the Loss of Excise Taxes
Received by the Clerk of the House on February 27, 2025. Referred to the Committee on
Transportation pursuant to Joint Rule 308.2 and ordered printed pursuant to Joint Rule 401.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative DRINKWATER of Milford.
Cosponsored by Senator FARRIN of Somerset and
Representatives: CAMPBELL of Orrington, COLLAMORE of Pittsfield, GUERRETTE of
Caribou, HYMES of Waldo.

Page 1 - 132LR1357(01)
1Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
2Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §523, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2023, c. 634, §8, is further
3 amended to read:
42. Disabled veterans; special free license plates. The Secretary of State, on
5 application and upon evidence of payment of the excise tax required by Title 36, section
6 1482 or upon evidence of exemption from excise tax under Title 36, section 1483,
7 subsection 12, shall issue, with no annual registration fee, a registration certificate and upon
8 request special designating plates to be used in lieu of regular registration plates for a
9 vehicle with a registered gross weight of not more than 26,000 pounds to any 100%
10 disabled veteran when that application is accompanied by certification from the United
11 States Department of Veterans Affairs or any branch of the United States Armed Forces as
12 to the veteran's permanent disability and receipt of 100% service-connected benefits. Upon
13 request a disability placard may be issued at no fee. The Secretary of State may issue a
14 registration certificate and special designating plates for no more than one vehicle 3
15 vehicles owned by a veteran eligible under this subsection.
16 These special designating plates must bear the words "Disabled Veteran," which indicate
17 that the vehicle is owned by a disabled veteran.
18 A municipality shall annually submit a report to the Secretary of State that includes the
19 number of registration certificates issued under this subsection to determine the excise tax
20 revenue annually lost. The Secretary of State shall notify the State Controller of the amount
21 of revenue to be reimbursed to each municipality. The State Controller shall transfer to
22 each municipality annually an amount based on the report for all registrations provided at
23 no cost by the municipality under this subsection.
24SUMMARY
25 This bill specifies that only 3 registered motor vehicles may be exempt from excise
26 taxes for a disabled veteran. The bill also requires the State Controller to fully reimburse
27 municipalities for the excise tax revenue lost from this exemption based on a report from
28 the Secretary of State.
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