1. Definitions. As used in this section, unless the context otherwise indicates, the following terms have the following meanings. A. "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Public Safety or the commissioner's designee. [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).] B. "Fund" means the Thermal Imaging Camera Fund established in this section. [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).] [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).] 2. Program established. The commissioner shall oversee the Thermal Imaging Camera Program to negotiate one or more bulk purchases of thermal imaging cameras on behalf of local fire-fighting units and, to the extent funds are available, to provide loans for the purchase of such cameras by local fire-fighting units. The commissioner shall determine how many thermal imaging cameras local fire- fighting units wish to purchase under the program and shall negotiate a bulk purchase price of those cameras, provided that the units are able to pay for the cameras or have qualified for a loan pursuant to subsection 4. [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).] 3. Fund established. The Thermal Imaging Camera Fund is established from which the loans authorized under subsection 4 may be made. The fund, which is a nonlapsing fund, receives money from appropriations made by the Legislature and from any other public or private source including repayment of loans. Money deposited in the fund and any interest earnings on that money remain in the fund to be used for loans pursuant to this section. [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).] 4. Loans and purchases authorized. To the extent money is available in the fund, the commissioner may make interest-free loans to local fire-fighting units, or the appropriate units of government with jurisdiction over the fire-fighting units, to assist in the purchase of the thermal imaging cameras for which the commissioner negotiates a price pursuant to subsection 2. The commissioner may recover administrative costs associated with administering the loans through a processing fee equitably imposed on local fire-fighting units, or the units of government with jurisdiction over the fire- fighting units, which receive loans under this section. The commissioner shall also arrange for the direct purchase of a thermal imaging camera by a local fire-fighting unit if no loan is sought or available. The commissioner by rule shall establish procedures for determining which local fire-fighting units qualify to receive loans in the event the fund is insufficient to provide loans to all fire-fighting units that seek loans. Rules adopted to implement this section are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter II-A. [PL 2001, c. 439, Pt. BBBBB, §1 (NEW).]
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