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An Act To Make Damaging a Public Easement with a Motor Vehicle a Class E Crime
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 17 MRSA §3853-D, sub-§1, as amended by PL 1995, c. 539, §1, is further amended to read:
 
1. Damage or destruction to farmland, forest land or public easement.   A person who, as a result of operating a motor vehicle on farmland or, forest land or a public easement in fact, damages or destroys crops, forest products, personal property or roads on that farmland or, forest land or public easement, commits a Class E crime.
Sec. 2.  17 MRSA §3853-D, sub-§2, ¶A-3  is enacted to read:
 
A-3.  "Emergency responder" means a person providing firefighting, rescue or emergency medical services.
Sec. 3.  17 MRSA §3853-D, sub-§2, ¶C  is enacted to read:
 
C.  "Public easement" has the same meaning as in Title 23, section 3021, subsection 2.
Sec. 4. 17 MRSA §3853-D, sub-§3, ¶¶C and D, as amended by PL 1995, c. 539, §1, are further amended to read:
 
C. An agent or employee of a landowner who operates a motor vehicle on farmland or forest land owned by that landowner in the scope of that agent's or employee's agency or employment; or
 
D. A law enforcement officer who, in an emergency and in the scope of that law enforcement officer's employment, operates a motor vehicle on farmland or forest land owned by another.or on a public easement; or
Sec. 5.  17 MRSA §3853-D, sub-§3, ¶E  is enacted to read:
 
E.  An emergency responder who, in an emergency and in performing the duties of the emergency responder, operates a motor vehicle on farmland or forest land owned by another or on a public easement.
 
Effective 90 days following adjournment of the 127th Legislature, First Regular Session, unless otherwise indicated.