An Act To Enhance Forest Ranger Safety

Sec. 1. PL 1999, c. 352, §§3 and 4  are repealed.

Sec. 2. Law enforcement training for forest rangers policy. The Director of the Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry shall develop and institute a policy that requires all forest rangers appointed by the director pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 8901, subsection 1 to attend a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a condition of employment. The policy must exempt those forest rangers who have previously attended a preservice law enforcement training course or a basic law enforcement course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. The policy must require forest rangers to attend and complete at least 7 hours of firearms classroom work and at least 40 hours of firearms training on a firing range taught by a firearms instructor certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy. In addition, forest rangers shall complete at least 8 hours of training regarding the use of force taught by the Office of the Attorney General and at least another 8 hours of training on weapon retention and use-of-force scenarios taught by a Maine Criminal Justice Academy instructor.

Sec. 3. Firearms training and equipment plans. The state supervisor of the forest protection unit of the Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy jointly shall develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other related equipment. The state supervisor shall develop a plan to furnish firearms and equipment to those forest rangers who have completed the training course developed jointly by the state supervisor and the Director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy for the performance of those forest rangers’ law enforcement duties. The plans developed pursuant to this section are subject to the requirements of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 25, section 2803-B, subsection 1 and must be submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety for review no later than November 1, 2015. The plans must be implemented no later than January 1, 2017.

Sec. 4. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF

Division of Forest Protection Z232

Initiative: Provides funding for firearms, vests and other related equipment in fiscal year 2015-16.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17
All Other	$60,861	$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$60,861	$0

Division of Forest Protection Z232

Initiative: Provides funding in fiscal year 2015-16 for training and overtime incurred while the forest rangers are training.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17
Personal Services	$18,909	$0
All Other	$7,049	$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$25,958	$0

Division of Forest Protection Z232

Initiative: Recognizes Personal Services savings from managing vacancies and salary savings.

GENERAL FUND	2015-16	2016-17
Personal Services	($86,819)	$0
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	($86,819)	$0

AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
DEPARTMENT TOTALS	2015-16	2016-17
GENERAL FUND	$0	$0
DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS	$0	$0

summary

This bill repeals 2 provisions of Public Law 1999, chapter 352 that require the Commissioner of Conservation to sell all bulletproof vests, firearms and related equipment and that prohibit the commissioner from purchasing bulletproof vests, firearms or related equipment without specific authorization by the Legislature. This bill requires the Director of the Bureau of Forestry within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to develop and institute a policy that requires all forest rangers to attend and complete a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy as a condition of employment. A forest ranger who has already attended a law enforcement training course at the Maine Criminal Justice Academy is exempt.

The bill also requires the state supervisor of the forest protection unit in the Bureau of Forestry and the Director of the Maine Criminal Justice Academy to develop a plan to provide training to forest rangers in the use of firearms, bulletproof vests and other related equipment. The state supervisor is directed to develop a plan to furnish such firearms and equipment to those forest rangers for the performance of their law enforcement duties. The plans must be submitted to the Joint Standing Committee on Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry and the Joint Standing Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety for review no later than November 1, 2015 and implemented, including furnishing firearms and related equipment, no later than January 1, 2017.