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For purposes of this subsection, "state, province, country or | district with which this State has reciprocity" means a state, | province, country or district that shares a common border with this | State and that offers similar privileges to residents of this | State. A state, province, country or district does not offer | similar privileges if Maine residents holding a valid Maine | snowmobile registration are charged a fee for access to the trail | system in that state, province, country or district, or if, as | determined by the commissioner, privileges and opportunities | offered to snowmobile users in that state, province, country or | district are not otherwise comparable to those offered in this | State. |
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| | | A snowmobile owned by a nonresident may not be issued a resident | | registration. Nothing in this subsection authorizes the | | operation of any snowmobile in any manner contrary to this | | subchapter. This subsection does not apply to snowmobiles and | | grooming equipment registered to snowmobile clubs, municipalities | | or counties from bordering states or provinces and engaged in | | trail grooming. |
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| | | Sec. 3. 36 MRSA §2903-B, as amended by PL 1995, c. 502, Pt. E, §30, | | is repealed and the following enacted in its place: |
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| | | §2903-B.__Snowmobile fuel use |
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| | | The Legislature finds as a fact that the percentage of | | "gasoline tax" revenue paid by snowmobile users, is not less than | | .8% of the total "gasoline tax" collected.__Based on this | | finding, there is set aside .8% of the total excise tax on | | internal combustion engine fuel sold or used within the State, | | excluding combustion engine fuel for aircraft.__From this .8% | | allocation, 10% must be paid to the Treasurer of State to be made | | available to the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife for | | the purposes set forth in Title 12, section 7824.__The remaining | | 90% of the .8% must be credited to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of | | the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands under | | Title 12, section 7824.__The State Tax Assessor shall certify to | | the State Controller by the 15th day of each month the amounts to | | be credited under this section as of the close of the State | | Controller's records for the previous month. |
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| | | This bill increases resident and nonresident snowmobile | | registration rates by $5 and dedicates that amount to a special | | fund administered by the Off-Road Recreational Vehicle Division | | of the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands to |
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| | | assist any entity that has a snowmobile trail grooming contract | | with the bureau in the purchase of trail grooming equipment. | | Exempt from this increase is any snowmobile registered as an | | antique under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 7824, | | subsection 2-B. |
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| | | Under current law, a snowmobile may be operated in the State | | without being registered in the State if the snowmobile is | | registered in another area that grants Maine residents a | | reciprocal privilege. This bill requires all nonresidents who | | snowmobile in Maine to register their snowmobiles in Maine. This | | bill specifically excludes from this requirement snowmobiles and | | grooming equipment registered to snowmobile clubs, | | municipalities, counties or provinces and engaged in trail | | grooming activities. |
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| | | This bill also increases the percentage set aside from the | | "gasoline tax" from .5% to .8%. |
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