This bill requires urban transit providers in Maine to install protective security barriers in large buses by August 1, 2029, to protect bus operators from potential attacks. The law defines a large heavy-duty bus as one weighing over 26,001 pounds and measuring 30 feet or longer, and specifies that security barriers must be transparent, durable, and allow operators to see clearly and communicate with passengers. A new state fund will provide grants to help transit providers purchase and install these barriers, with an initial $1 million transfer from the General Fund to support the program. Transit providers must also submit annual progress reports to the Department of Transportation by August 1 each year from 2027 through 2029, and operators cannot run non-compliant buses after the 2029 deadline.
LD 1539 creates a State Employee Compensation Stabilization Fund within Maine's Department of Administrative and Financial Services. The fund, financed by 1% of excess General Fund revenues (previously allocated to highway funding), must be used to augment state employee salaries to achieve parity with comparable public and private sector roles, as determined by market pay studies. Unexpended funds at year-end carry forward to the next fiscal year without lapsing. The bill directly affects executive branch state employees, as defined in Maine law, by establishing a dedicated funding mechanism for salary adjustments.
This bill allocates $1 million from the General Fund to support climate resiliency projects at Southern Maine Community College. It targets historic campus structures used by the public for active transportation (like walking/biking paths) and outdoor recreation, focusing on areas vulnerable to sea level rise, flooding, and erosion. The funding is one-time and aims to encourage matching investments from private sources and federal programs. It directly affects the college's non-educational infrastructure that serves community members.
LD 1457 authorizes the Maine Turnpike Authority to test automated speed detection systems in highway work zones on limited access state highways with speed limits of 45 mph or higher. The pilot program, running from 2026 to 2028, would use camera systems to capture license plates of vehicles exceeding speed limits by 11 mph or more, but only after posting clear advance signage and publicly listing locations online. Drivers would receive a written warning for a first violation in a work zone, with subsequent violations subject to fines via mail notice (similar to standard traffic citations). The program is limited to three locations at a time and prohibits using recorded images for surveillance beyond speeding detection.
LD 1804 establishes a joint standing committee on transportation to oversee all Highway Fund allocations, including subdivisions and transfers, requiring it to review financial orders and meet monthly. It mandates the State Budget Officer to adjust Highway Fund funding levels every two years starting in 2030-31 based on the Consumer Price Index. The bill also amends the Department of Transportation’s authority to develop rules for transportation infrastructure and administration. These changes directly affect the committee, the Department of Transportation, the Bureau of Motor Vehicles, and the State Budget Officer.
This bill directs Maine's Department of Transportation to remove 9.95 miles of inactive railroad track along the Berlin Subdivision corridor (from Portland's Back Cove area to Yarmouth's Royal River Park) and replace it with a temporary bicycle and pedestrian trail. The trail would be built on the existing rail bed using pavement, gravel, or stone dust, but only after securing available funding, required permits, and agreements with local municipalities. The directive follows a recommendation from the Portland to Auburn Rail Use Advisory Council, established under state law to advise on rail corridor use. This change is specified as "interim," preserving the corridor for potential future rail use as mandated by Maine's State Railroad Preservation and Assistance Act.
This bill updates Maine's growth management laws to enhance housing affordability, infrastructure development, and environmental protection. It amends key definitions - such as setting "affordable housing" at 80% of area median income - and adds new funding categories for mixed-use housing projects, bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, and public utility systems. The bill also revises program goals to prioritize affordable housing for low/moderate-income households, protect water resources, and support marine industries. These changes directly affect Maine municipalities implementing growth management plans and state agencies overseeing land use and housing policies.
This bill allows Maine development districts (tax increment financing districts) to extend their tax increment financing periods by up to 20 additional years beyond the standard 30-year limit, provided they use at least 75% of the tax increment revenue for affordable housing or transit-oriented development projects. It defines "affordable housing" as housing for households earning no more than 120% of the area median income (per HUD standards) and clarifies that "transit-oriented development" includes projects linking housing and other uses with transit facilities, without requiring them to be located in designated transit districts. Municipalities meeting these conditions can extend their districts' tax increment financing periods, supporting longer-term development focused on housing access and transit connectivity.
LD 96 amends Maine's traffic law to require drivers to submit to a drug or alcohol test if a law enforcement officer has probable cause to believe they are impaired by any drug, alcohol, or a combination. This replaces the current standard, which required probable cause for a specific drug category or combination. The bill updates terminology from "drug recognition expert" to "law enforcement officer" and clarifies that the Secretary of State must immediately suspend a driver's license for refusing such a test. It directly affects drivers stopped by police for suspected impairment who decline testing.
LD 1549 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring that, starting July 1, 2027, at least 60% of sales and use tax revenue from motor vehicle dealers and the Bureau of Motor Vehicles must be dedicated to transportation infrastructure. This revenue must be spent solely on costs related to all transportation modes - including highways, bridges, transit, rail, ferries, ports, trails, pedestrian paths, and bicycle facilities - without diversion to other purposes. The amendment also designates the Legislature's transportation committee as the sole body overseeing the Highway Fund's finances. If approved by voters in a November 2025 referendum, it would become part of Maine's Constitution.
