An Act To Clarify a Municipality's Authority To Contract with an Animal Shelter for Services

Sec. 1. 7 MRSA §3947, first ¶,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 439, §26, is further amended to read:

Each municipality shall appoint one or more animal control officers whose duties are enforcement of sections 3911, 3912, 3916, 3921, 3924, 3943, 3948, 3950, 3950-A, 3952 and 4041 and Title 17, section 1023 , responding to reports of animals suspected of having rabies in accordance with Title 22, sections 1313 and 1313-A and any other duties to control animals as the municipality may require. A municipality may appoint an employee of an animal shelter as an animal control officer as long as the person meets the qualifications and training requirements of this section.

Sec. 2. 7 MRSA §3949,  as amended by PL 1997, c. 690, §32, is further amended by adding after the first paragraph a new paragraph to read:

A municipality may contract with an animal shelter licensed under section 3932-A for other animal control services. A municipality may not contract with a shelter for the performance of the duties of an animal control officer as specified in section 3947 unless an employee of that shelter is the appointed animal control officer for that municipality and the duties of an animal control officer are performed by the person so appointed.