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<section article="gps" article_name="Public Safety" number="2-703" title_number="2" title_name="Department of State Police" subtitle_number="7" subtitle_name="Vehicle Theft Prevention Council and Vehicle Theft Prevention Fund">
  <level label="a">
    <text>There is a Vehicle Theft Prevention Fund.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="b">
    <level label="1">
      <text>The Fund is a special, nonlapsing fund that is not subject to § 7-302 of the State Finance and Procurement Article.</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The Treasurer shall hold the Fund separately and the Comptroller shall account for the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="c">
    <text>The Fund consists of:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>money received by the Fund under § 17-106 of the Transportation Article;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>money received by the Council or the Fund from any source; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>investment earnings of the Fund.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="d">
    <text>The money of the Fund shall be invested in the same manner as other State money.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="e">
    <text>The Council shall spend money in the Fund in the following order of priority:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>to pay the expenses of the Council; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>to carry out the purposes of this subtitle.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="f">
    <text>When making grants from the Fund, the Council shall consider and prioritize the following entities and programs:</text>
    <level label="1">
      <text>State and local law enforcement agencies:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>to enhance vehicle theft enforcement and prevention teams or efforts; and</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>for programs designed to reduce the incidence of vehicle theft;</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>local prosecutors and judicial agencies, for enhanced prosecution and adjudication of vehicle theft crime;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="3">
      <text>neighborhood, community, or business organizations, for programs designed to reduce the incidence of vehicle theft;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="4">
      <text>educational programs designed to inform motor vehicle owners of methods to prevent motor vehicle theft and to provide equipment, for experimental purposes, to enable motor vehicle owners to prevent motor vehicle theft;</text>
    </level>
    <level label="5">
      <text>programs designed to reduce the incidence of vehicle theft and recidivism by juveniles; and</text>
    </level>
    <level label="6">
      <text>programs designed to reduce or deter damage or vandalism to vehicles in connection with vehicle theft or theft of property from vehicles.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
  <level label="g">
    <text>To the extent practicable, the Council shall allocate grants made under this subtitle among the subdivisions of the State on a pro rata basis determined by the total number of vehicles registered in each subdivision divided by the total number of vehicles registered in the State.</text>
  </level>
  <level label="h">
    <level label="1">
      <text>Expenditures from the Fund may be made only:</text>
      <level label="i">
        <text>in accordance with the State budget; or</text>
      </level>
      <level label="ii">
        <text>by the budget amendment procedure as provided in § 7-209 of the State Finance and Procurement Article, if at least 45 days have passed since the budget amendment and supporting information were submitted to the budget committees for their review and comment.</text>
      </level>
    </level>
    <level label="2">
      <text>The proposed budget and any budget amendment submitted to the General Assembly shall include an itemized list of each grant and other expenditure from the Fund to be made in the fiscal year.</text>
    </level>
  </level>
</section>
