Sec. 1. 29-A MRSA §2115 is enacted to read:

§2115.__Idling time for certain diesel-powered vehicles

1.__Prohibition.__An operator of a bus or truck that is propelled by a diesel engine may not allow that engine to idle for more than 5 consecutive minutes when the bus or truck is not in motion.__A person who violates this subsection commits a civil violation for which a forfeiture not to exceed $1,000 may be imposed.

2.__Exceptions.__Subsection 1 does not apply if:

A.__The bus or truck is motionless because of traffic conditions over which the operator has no control;

B.__Idling of the bus or truck is necessary to maintain a specific temperature for passenger comfort as required by a federal regulation, state rule or municipal regulation.__The person may not idle the truck or bus for a time period longer than that needed to comply with the regulation or rule;

C.__The bus or truck engine provides power for an auxiliary purpose, including loading, discharging, mixing or processing cargo; controlling cargo temperature; construction; lumbering; oil, gas or water well servicing; farming; and maintenance;

D.__The bus or truck is used to perform emergency services;

E.__The truck is used in mining or quarrying and is operated on property owned by either the operator of the truck or the owner of the truck; or

F.__The operator intends to leave the bus or truck motionless for a period exceeding 2 hours and the ambient air temperature in the vicinity of the truck is forecasted to be less than 25 Fahrenheit throughout the entire period.

SUMMARY

This bill prohibits a person from idling a diesel bus or truck for more than 5 minutes unless the bus or truck is motionless because of traffic conditions; idling is required to maintain a temperature for passenger comfort as required by a government regulation; the engine provides power for an auxiliary