An Act To Provide Regional Support Funding For Municipal Police Departments To Support Special Response Teams

This bill creates the Special Response Team Fund to reimburse municipalities for 10% of their annual expenses in maintaining and operating specialized law enforcement teams. These teams, defined as elite tactical units certified by the Maine Criminal Justice Academy, handle high-risk operations requiring specialized training and equipment beyond standard police capabilities. Counties will contribute annually to the fund based on population size to cover the 10% reimbursement, with the Department of Public Safety administering disbursements by April 1st each year after reviewing municipalities' prior-year expenses. The fund is designed to reduce financial burdens on local governments while supporting statewide coordination of these specialized units.