municipalities

All Except for the $1 recording fee pursuant to section 3942 retained by the municipal clerk, all fees and court fines retained by municipalities must be kept in a separate account and must be used for the salaries and costs of animal control, enforcement of licensing laws, care of stray animals that are injured or abandoned and the support of one or more approved animal shelters. Any money not expended for these purposes in a municipality's fiscal year does not lapse, but must be carried over to the next fiscal year.

Sec. 6. 17 MRSA §1015 is enacted to read:

§1015.__Surcharge imposed

A surcharge of 10% or $10, whichever is greater, must be added to every fine or penalty imposed by any court in this State for a violation of this chapter.__The surcharge, for the purposes of collection and collection procedures, is considered a part of the fine or penalty.__All funds collected as a result of this surcharge must be deposited monthly in the Animal Welfare Fund established under Title 7, section 3906-B, subsection 2.

Sec. 7. Appropriations and allocations. The following appropriations and allocations are made.

AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL RESOURCES,

DEPARTMENT OF

Animal Welfare Fund

Initiative: Provides funds for 2 District Humane Agent positions.

Other Special Revenue Funds 2001-02 2002-03

Positions - Legislative Count (0.000) (2.000)

Personal Services $0 $107,560

All Other 0 __ 3,753

Other Special Revenue Funds Total $0 $111,313

Animal Welfare Fund

Initiative: Provides funds for one Veterinarian position.

Other Special Revenue Funds 2001-02 2002-03

Positions - Legislative Count (0.000) (1.000)

Personal Services $0 $74,105

All Other 0 __5,586

Other Special Revenue Funds Total $0 $79,691

Animal Welfare Fund

Initiative: Provides for the elimination of 4 of the 7 intermittent State Humane Agent positions, 3 positions of 494 hours each and one position of 456 hours.

Other Special Revenue Funds 2001-02 2002-03

Positions - FTE Count (0.000) (-0.932)

Personal Services $0 ($26,350)

All Other 0 ____(919)

Other Special Revenue Funds Total $0 ($27,269)

AGRICULTURE, FOOD AND RURAL RESOURCES,

DEPARTMENT OF

DEPARTMENT TOTALS 2001-02 2002-03

OTHER SPECIAL REVENUE FUNDS $0 $163,734

DEPARTMENT TOTAL - ALL FUNDS $0 $163,734

SUMMARY

This bill accomplishes the following.

1. It amends the purpose section found at the beginning of the animal welfare laws.

2. It clarifies that the courts must pay to the towns fines and forfeitures imposed for violations of the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 7, Part 9. The municipal clerk must deposit the money in the town's animal welfare account.

3. It imposes a surcharge on fines and forfeitures for violations of animal welfare laws. The surcharge must be deposited in the state Animal Welfare Fund.

4. It clarifies the disposition of dog license fees.

5. It imposes a surcharge on fines for criminal violations of animal welfare laws. The surcharge must be deposited in the state Animal Welfare Fund.

6. It provides allocations from the Animal Welfare Fund.