Revision: July 11, 2017, 2:52 p.m.
CHAPTER 212
SB 131-FN-A - FINAL VERSION
03/23/2017 0896s
1Jun2017... 1996h
06/08/2017 2312EBA
2017 SESSION
17-0297
04/01
SENATE BILL 131-FN-A
AN ACT establishing a cross border drug interdiction program and making an appropriation therefor.
SPONSORS: Sen. Bradley, Dist 3; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. D'Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Feltes, Dist 15; Sen. French, Dist 7; Sen. Fuller Clark, Dist 21; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Giuda, Dist 2; Sen. Gray, Dist 6; Sen. Innis, Dist 24; Sen. Lasky, Dist 13; Sen. Morse, Dist 22; Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Woodburn, Dist 1; Rep. Hinch, Hills. 21; Rep. Shurtleff, Merr. 11; Rep. Rosenwald, Hills. 30; Rep. Chandler, Carr. 1
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
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This bill establishes a cross border drug interdiction program in the department of safety and makes appropriations for the purposes of the program.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/23/2017 0896s
1Jun2017... 1996h
06/08/2017 2312EBA 17-0297
04/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Seventeen
AN ACT establishing a cross border drug interdiction program and making an appropriation therefor.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
212:1 Statement of Purpose. The purpose of this act is to allow the New Hampshire state police to expand its operations in the area of interdicting all crimes and hazards being conveyed upon the roadways of the state, to include stemming the flow of heroin and fentanyl into our communities. This will be accomplished by permanently assigning additional troopers to the New Hampshire state police mobile enforcement team (MET) initiative whose primary mission is to work with other law enforcement partners in a cooperative, intelligence-based effort to disrupt drug trafficking and combat the opioid epidemic. The additional troopers assigned to the MET initiative will be trained on the complex and fluid nature of such investigations and will be current on all relevant law. Initially, overtime will be used to allow the New Hampshire state police to expand its MET initiative operations. This will prevent the reduction of current staffing levels essential to providing other law enforcement services. Experienced troopers will be assigned to the MET initiative as additional troopers are hired to replace them.
212:2 New Subdivision; Cross Border Drug Interdiction Program. Amend RSA 21-P by inserting after section 67 the following new subdivision:
Cross Border Drug Interdiction Program
21-P:68 Cross Border Drug Interdiction Program.
I. The commissioner of safety shall establish a cross border drug interdiction program which shall consist of state troopers and narcotics investigation unit detectives to perform drug interdiction work targeted at, but not limited to, stemming the flow of illegal drugs into the state of New Hampshire. This effort is aimed at combating the opioid crisis facing the state through the collaborative efforts of uniform, investigative, and forensics lab services in an ongoing, cross border enforcement activity.
II. The commissioner shall submit a semi-annual report to the governor, senate president, and speaker of the house of representatives, which shall include measurable program results and a detailed accounting of program funding and uses. The commissioner shall submit the first report on or before December 15, 2017.
212:3 Appropriations; Department of Safety; Cross Border Drug Interdiction Program.
I. The sum of $1,155,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 is hereby appropriated to the department of safety for the purpose of hiring 5 additional state troopers who shall be assigned exclusively to perform drug interdiction work in accordance with the cross border drug interdiction program established in RSA 21-P:68. Of the amount appropriated, $700,000 shall be expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018 and $455,000 shall be expended in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2019.
II. The sum of $940,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 is hereby appropriated to the department of safety. This sum shall be expended in the biennium ending June 30, 2019 as follows:
(a) $352,300 shall be expended for the purpose of funding overtime for the state police mobile enforcement unit, with no more than 50 percent of the appropriation expended in each fiscal year.
(b) $171,600 shall be expended for the purpose of funding overtime at the state forensic lab as a result of increased caseloads attributable to the cross border drug interdiction program established in RSA 21-P:68, with no more than 50 percent of the appropriation expended in each fiscal year.
(c) $416,100 shall be expended for the purpose of funding overtime at the state police narcotics and investigations unit as a result of increased caseloads attributable to the cross border drug interdiction program established in RSA 21-P:68, with no more than 50 percent of the appropriation expended in each fiscal year.
III. The sum of $2,400,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2017 is hereby appropriated to the department of safety to disburse grants to county and local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of funding overtime costs for county and local law enforcement officers performing law enforcement activities attributable to the substance abuse enforcement program established in RSA 21-P:66. This sum shall be expended in the biennium ending June 30, 2019, with no more than 50 percent of the appropriation expended in each fiscal year.
IV. For the appropriations made in this section, the governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sums out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
V. All appropriations made in this act shall not lapse until July 1, 2019.
212:4 Effective Date. This act shall take effect upon its passage.
Approved: July 10, 2017
Effective Date: July 10, 2017