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Resolve, To Provide Grants to Law Enforcement Agencies To Acquire and Train Drug-detecting Dogs
Sec. 1 Grants for law enforcement drug-detecting dogs. Resolved: That the Commissioner of Public Safety shall establish a one-year grant program to assist law enforcement agencies to acquire and train drug-detecting dogs as provided in this section.
1. Definitions. As used in this resolve, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings.
A. "Drug-detecting dog" or "dog" means a dog that is trained to detect the presence of drugs or other illegal substances and to alert the law enforcement officer who is the handler of the dog to the presence of the drugs or illegal substances.
B. "Grant program" means the program established under this section to provide assistance to law enforcement agencies as provided in subsection 2.
C. "Law enforcement agency" means the State Police, a sheriff's department or a municipal police department.
D. "Law enforcement officer" means any person who by virtue of public employment is vested by law with a duty to make arrests for crimes, whether that duty extends to all crimes or is limited to specific crimes.
2. Grant program. The grant program may provide grants for one year to up to 10 law enforcement agencies to acquire and train drug-detecting dogs. The grant program may be used by the law enforcement agency to pay for the cost of the dog; training for the dog, including but not limited to drug detection academy training; and drug detection training and certification for the law enforcement officer who is the handler of the dog, including but not limited to any overtime pay necessary for training for the officer. The grant program may not be used by the law enforcement agency to pay for food or veterinary care for the dog or the cost of any certifications for the dog beyond the initial training.
3. Application form; criteria for awarding grants. The Commissioner of Public Safety shall adopt rules to specify the application form for the grant program and the criteria for awarding grants. The commissioner shall make applications available on January 1, 2018 and grant awards by April 1, 2018. Rules adopted pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined by the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This resolve directs the Commissioner of Public Safety to establish a grant program for one year to assist law enforcement agencies to acquire and train drug-detecting dogs. The grant program may provide assistance to up to 10 law enforcement agencies. The grant program may pay for the cost of the dog; training for the dog, including but not limited to drug detection academy training; and drug detection training and certification for the law enforcement officer who is the handler of the dog, including but not limited to any overtime pay necessary for training for the officer. The grant program may not pay for the cost of food or veterinary care for the dog or the cost of any certifications for the dog beyond the initial training. The resolve directs the Commissioner of Public Safety to adopt routine technical rules to specify the application form for the grant program and the criteria for awarding grants and to make applications available by January 1, 2018 and grant awards by April 1, 2018.