CHAPTER 513
S.P. 193 - L.D. 611
An Act to Ensure Funding for Snowmobile Law Enforcement Activities
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7017, sub-§7 is enacted to read:
7. Snowmobile enforcement expenditures not to diminish. In every fiscal year, the department shall budget from appropriations to the enforcement operations program an amount for snowmobile enforcement activities that is not less than the average General Fund expenditures from that program for those purposes over the previous 2 fiscal years. Expenditures from the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund, established in section 7824-G, may not be included in calculating average expenditures.
Sec. 2. 12 MRSA §7824, sub-§3, ¶B, as amended by PL 1997, c. 24, Pt. I, §9, is further amended to read:
B. The registration fee for nonresidents is credited as follows.
(1) Twenty-five Eighteen percent is credited to the General Fund as undedicated revenue.
(1-A) Seven percent is credited to the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund established under section 7824-G.
(2) The remainder is credited to the Snowmobile Trail Fund of the Department of Conservation, Bureau of Parks and Lands.
Sec. 3. 12 MRSA §7824-G is enacted to read:
§7824-G. Snowmobile Enforcement Fund
The Snowmobile Enforcement Fund is established in the department's Bureau of Warden Service and in this section referred to as the "fund." All funds credited to the fund are available for use by the Game Warden Colonel of the Bureau of Warden Service only for the purposes established in this section. Money in the fund may be used only to supplement other funds appropriated to the enforcement operations program. Money in the fund at the end of each fiscal year does not lapse and must be carried forward to the next fiscal year.
The Game Warden Colonel may use money in the fund only for the following purposes:
1. Snowmobile law enforcement. Regular or overtime personnel services costs of the warden service related to enforcement of snowmobile laws;
2. Education and training. Safety or other education programs conducted by the department or authorized by the department that are related to the operation of snowmobiles; or
3. Other related uses. Other purposes, including the purchase of equipment or machinery, determined by the Game Warden Colonel as necessary for effective snowmobile safety and enforcement activities.
Sec. 4. Transfer of funds. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, no later than 30 days after the effective date of this Act, the State Controller shall transfer $42,000 from the Inland Fisheries and Wildlife carrying balances account to the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund established under the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 7824-G. Notwithstanding Title 12, section 7824-G, funds transferred under this section may be used by the Bureau of Warden Service only to reimburse the warden service for snowmobile enforcement expenditures by the warden service that were in excess of the amount budgeted by the warden service for snowmobile enforcement in fiscal year 1996-97. If, after October 1, 1997, the Commissioner of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and the State Controller agree that the amount transferred under this section is not sufficient to fully reimburse the warden service for those expenditures, the State Controller shall transfer by October 30, 1997 those additional funds identified by the commissioner and the controller as necessary to fully reimburse the warden service for those costs.
Sec. 5. Transfer of funds. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Controller shall transfer an amount equal to the amounts credited pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 12, section 7824, subsection 3, paragraph B, subparagraph (1-A) from the carrying balances-inland fisheries and wildlife program in each fiscal year beginning in fiscal year 1997-98 to the General Fund as undedicated revenue.
Sec. 6. Allocation. The following funds are allocated from Other Special Revenue to carry out the purposes of this Act.
1996-97 1997-98 1998-99
INLAND FISHERIES AND WILDLIFE, DEPARTMENT OF
Enforcement Operations
All Other $42,000 $24,536 $24,536
Provides allocations from the Snowmobile Enforcement Fund to authorize expenditures for snowmobile enforcement activities.
Effective September 19, 1997, unless otherwise indicated.
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