| Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: |
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| | Sec. 1. 12 MRSA §7035, sub-§4, as amended by PL 1997, c. 432, §4, is | further amended to read: |
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| | 4. Search and rescue. Whenever the commissioner receives | notification that any person has gone into the woodlands or onto | the inland waters of the State on a hunting, fishing or other | trip and has become lost, stranded or drowned, the commissioner | shall exercise the authority to take reasonable steps to ensure | the safe and timely recovery of that person; except in cases | involving downed or lost aircraft covered by Title 6, section | 303. |
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| A. The commissioner may summon any person in the State to | assist in those search and rescue attempts. Each person | summoned shall must be paid at a rate set by the | commissioner with the approval of the Governor and shall be | provided with subsistence while engaged in these activities. |
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| C. The commissioner may enter into written agreements with | other agencies or corporations, including commercial | recreational areas, allowing partial search and rescue | responsibility within specified areas. |
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| D. The commissioner may terminate a search and rescue | operation by members of his department when, in his the | commissioner's opinion, all reasonable efforts have been | exhausted. |
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| E. The commissioner may recover all costs directly related | to a specific search and rescue operation: |
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| (1) From the person for whom the search and rescue | operation was conducted; or |
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| (2) If a person knowingly provided false information | that leads to a search and rescue operation, from the | person who provided that false information. |
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| Any person who has knowledge that another person is lost, | stranded or drowned in the woodlands or inland waters of the | State shall notify the Warden Service Division of the Department | of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife. |
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| The expenses of the department in search and rescue efforts are | paid from the General Fund.__The joint standing committee of the | Legislature having jurisdiction over inland fisheries and | wildlife matters shall report out a bill during each regular | session requesting General Fund money for the full cost of search | and rescue. |
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