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MaineLD 1985132nd Maine Legislature (2025-2026)HouseWALLET

An Act to Implement the Recommendations of the Maine Abandoned and Discontinued Roads Commission

Sponsored By: Sponsor information unavailable

Became Law

MUNICIPALITIESMUNICIPALITIES - ROADS

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

5 provisions identified: 4 benefits, 0 costs, 1 mixed.

Owners on public easements get liability shield

If your property touches a public easement and you fix or maintain it to reach your home, you are protected from liability for injury, damage, or death from those repairs or from public use of the easement. This protection does not cover willful or malicious acts or failing to warn about a danger you reasonably know about. If you show credible evidence that someone else (not you or your contractor, employee, or agent) caused an environmental violation on your land, you are not fined, charged, or forced to pay cleanup. When a court finds you are not liable under this law, it must award your direct legal costs and reasonable attorney fees. The law does not create a duty to keep the easement safe.

Fuel deliveries allowed on easements

Vehicles delivering home heating fuel or organic animal bedding that have a state DOT permit can use county and town ways and public easements without a separate local permit. Towns and counties can set safety restrictions like the state, but they cannot make these deliveries get another permit. This keeps fuel and bedding deliveries moving to homes on easements.

Town upkeep for year-round easement homes

If you live year-round on a public easement, you or neighbors can petition the town for minimum, year-round upkeep. The town’s voters may approve grading, repairs, snowplowing, sanding, and culvert work up to the last year-round driveway. The work is below full road standards and continues until voters end it. The town must post signs at road entrances that say “Minimum Maintenance Road — Travel at Your Own Risk” and follow traffic sign rules. When a town provides this program, it is immune from liability for injuries or damage from that upkeep.

Small funding for Roads Commission

The state provides $6,500 each year to the Road Commission Fund to support the Maine Abandoned and Discontinued Roads Commission. The money reimburses members’ expenses and helps the commission do its work. Funding is listed as $6,500 for 2025–26 and $6,500 for 2026–27.

Towns may use equipment on easements

A town’s legislative body can allow town officers to use town highway equipment on public easements. They may plow, repair, or maintain an easement when the town says it is in the town’s interest for fire or police protection. The town sets the limits on this use.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsors

There is no primary sponsor on record.

Cosponsors

There are no cosponsors for this bill.

Roll Call Votes

No roll call votes available for this bill.

Actions Timeline

  1. ACTPUB Chapter 518

    1/11/2026

  2. HELD BY THE GOVERNOR.

    7/8/2025Senate

  3. On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin taken from the Special Appropriations Table PASSED TO BE ENACTED in concurrence.

    6/25/2025Senate

  4. On motion by Senator ROTUNDO of Androscoggin PLACED ON THE SPECIAL APPROPRIATIONS TABLE pending ENACTMENT in concurrence

    6/10/2025Senate

  5. PASSED TO BE ENACTED. Sent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

    6/9/2025House

  6. Report READ and ACCEPTED Bill READ ONCE Under suspension of the Rules, READ A SECOND TIME and PASSED TO BE ENGROSSED in concurrence.

    6/9/2025Senate

  7. Reported by Representative SALISBURY for the Joint Standing Committee on State and Local Government pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 23, section 3036, subsection 11.Report was READ and ACCEPTED.The Bill was READ ONCE.Under suspension of the rules, the Bill was given its SECOND READING without REFERENCE to the Committee on Bills in the Second Reading.The Bill was PASSED TO BE ENGROSSEDSent for concurrence. ORDERED SENT FORTHWITH.

    6/9/2025House

Bill Text

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