123rd MAINE LEGISLATURE
		LD 1948		LR 3343(01)
	An Act To Require a Hearing When a Fatality Results from a Motor Vehicle Accident
	Fiscal Note for Original Bill
	Sponsor: Rep. Wheeler of Kittery
	Committee: Transportation
	Fiscal Note Required: Yes
Fiscal Note
			2007-08	2008-09	Projections 2009-10	Projections 2010-11
Net Cost (Savings)
	General Fund		$0	$19,200	$19,200	$19,200
	Highway Fund		$0	$128,474	$107,080	$109,666
Appropriations/Allocations
	General Fund		$0	$19,200	$19,200	$19,200
	Highway Fund		$0	$128,474	$107,080	$109,666
Correctional and Judicial Impact Statements
	Allows administrative appeals to the Superior Court for license revocation by the Secretary of State in certain cases of accident fatalities.  The additional costs associated with a projected minimal caseload can be absorbed by the Judicial Department utilizing existing budgeted resources.
Fiscal Detail and Notes
	This bill requires the Secretary of State to conduct hearings for fatal accidents to determine whether to revoke or suspend licenses of the drivers involved.  The Secretary of State reports that in 2006 there were 168 motor vehicle accidents involving a fatality and that the average annual number of fatal motor vehicle accidents over the last 5 years was 174.  The Bureau of Motor Vehicles within the Secretary of State's office will require a General Fund appropriation beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 for one Hearings Examiner position and related costs and equipment needed to handle the anticipated number, complexity and length of the additional hearings.
	The State Police within the Department of Public Safety will require a General Fund appropriation beginning in fiscal year 2008-09 to provide an officer to testify at these hearings.  The estimated appropriation assumes that one officer per hearing would need to testify for 8 hours at 75% of the hearings and that 80% of the officer's time would be overtime.