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An Act To Provide Funding to Municipalities Severely Infested by Brown-tail Moth Caterpillars
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  7 MRSA c. 6-B  is enacted to read:
CHAPTER 6-B
MANAGEMENT OF BROWN-TAIL MOTH CATERPILLARS
§ 181.  Brown-tail moth caterpillar management
The commissioner may use appropriate methods for the management of brown-tail moth caterpillars and the prevention of their breeding, including but not limited to conducting or contracting for brown-tail moth caterpillar management activities. The commissioner in undertaking activities under this section shall use a combination of the lowest risk, most effective integrated pest management techniques and science-based technology.
§ 182. Maine Brown-tail Moth Caterpillar Management Fund
 
1.  Fund established.     The Maine Brown-tail Moth Caterpillar Management Fund, referred to in this section as "the fund," is established to carry out the purposes of this chapter. The fund consists of any money received as contributions, grants or appropriations from private and public sources.
 
2.  Purposes.     The department may expend the money available in the fund to municipalities designated by the State Entomologist as being severely infested with brown-tail moth caterpillars. A municipality may not receive more than $50,000 from the fund. A municipality provided funds under this subsection shall use:
 
A.  Seventy-five percent of the funding to mitigate infestation on residential properties in the municipality on which persons with health conditions that can be exacerbated by the infestation reside and who are unable to pay for treatment of the infestation; and
 
B.  Twenty-five percent of the funding to mitigate infestation on publicly owned properties in the municipality.
 
3.  Administration.     The fund, to be accounted for within the department, must be held separate and apart from all other money, funds and accounts. Any balance remaining in the fund at the end of a fiscal year does not lapse but must be carried forward to the next fiscal year. The State Entomologist shall administer the fund allocations.
§ 183. Rules
The department shall adopt routine technical rules pursuant to Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A necessary to administer and enforce this chapter.
Sec. 2. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.
 
AGRICULTURE, CONSERVATION AND FORESTRY, DEPARTMENT OF
 
Maine Brown-tail Moth Caterpillar Management Fund N236
 
Initiative: Provides one-time funding to the new Maine Brown-tail Moth Caterpillar Management Fund within the Department of Agriculture, Conservation and Forestry to be used in mitigating infestation of brown-tail moth caterpillars.

GENERAL FUND	2017-18	2018-19	
All Other	$500,000	$0	
			
GENERAL FUND TOTAL	$500,000	$0	

SUMMARY
This bill establishes the Maine Brown-tail Moth Caterpillar Management Fund to provide municipalities severely infested with brown-tail moth caterpillars funds to be used in mitigating the infestation of properties within the municipality. It also provides $500,000 to the fund.