AUGUSTA – Recognizing what its sponsor sees as an example of Yankee thrift and practicality, the Maine House gave final approval Monday to a bill giving older Maine drivers an option to get one-year driver’s licenses.

License renewals for most Maine drivers are now for a minimum of six years, and four years for senior citizens.

“I know elderly who are Depression-era folks who want to save a dime,” Sen. Susan Longley, the sponsor, said after her bill won final passage in the House without debate.

Longley, D-Liberty, said her bill lets people who are 65 and older get a one-year license for a prorated fee of $4.50 a year. “It’s to show respect for their ability to make decisions,” Longley said.

The bill is expected to cause a slight decrease in revenues for the state’s highway fund until fiscal 2004. After that, revenues will increase.

The bill faces a final vote in the Senate, where it could be set aside until the end of the session with other bills that have a price tag.

Longley said she hasn’t spotted any opposition to her bill.