Bill > LD1804

Introduced Session

This bill amends the laws related to legislative oversight of transportation funding and use of the funds from the Highway Fund. The bill: 1. Codifies the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over transportation matters as having jurisdiction over the Highway Fund. It updates references to the Highway Fund; 2. Establishes a minimum level of funding for transportation infrastructure programs related to bridges, highway lights and multimodal transportation, and requires the State Budget Officer to adjust the minimum level of funding by the percentage change in the Consumer Price Index each biennium beginning July 1, 2027; 3. Increases, from 40% to 60%, the percentage of automobile-related sales and use taxes transferred to the Highway Fund and adds automobile-related sales and use taxes to the list of revenue that is allocated to and becomes part of the Highway Fund beginning July 1, 2027; 4. Provides for the net revenue from liquor operations to be deposited as undedicated revenue to the General Fund, rather than being split between undedicated revenue to the General Fund and undedicated revenue to the Highway Fund; 5. Provides for state funding for the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police to come solely from the General Fund, rather than being split between the General Fund and the Highway Fund, beginning in fiscal year 2027-28; 6. Removes the Department of Public Safety, Bureau of State Police from the list of allowable uses of the Highway Fund; 7. Adds multimodal transportation to the list of allowable uses of the Highway Fund; 8. Redefines “transportation infrastructure” to mean the infrastructure, assets, facilities and systems related to all modes of transportation, including highways, bridges, aviation, transit, railroads, ferries, ports and other marine infrastructure, trails and bicycle and pedestrian facilities, as well as all buildings, utilities and other appurtenances related to those modes; 9. Removes the designation of project-specific and nonproject-specific procurement and retains the provision that the Department of Transportation has full power to purchase all supplies, materials and equipment that are incidental to, or necessary for, construction, improvement or maintenance of transportation infrastructure; and 10. Requires, beginning March 1, 2026, the Department of Transportation and the Maine Turnpike Authority to submit biennial reports in each even-numbered year, summarizing the procurement activities over the preceding 2 calendar years. The summary must include construction contracting, consulting contracts for engineering and other technical services and other vendor contracts.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Brad Farrin (R)*,  Roger Albert (R),  Steven Bishop (R),  Matt Harrington (R),  Rick Mason (R),  Wayne Parry (R),  Jim White (R), 

Voted: Divided Report (on 02/05/2026)

Official Document