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132nd MAINE LEGISLATURE
FIRST SPECIAL SESSION-2025
Legislative Document No. 1659H.P. 1100House 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)
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2 is enacted to read:
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4 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.
8 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.
12 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.
16 is enacted to read:
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20 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.
26 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.
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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.
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