67-2913A. SNOWMOBILE SEARCH AND RESCUE FUND — ADVISORY COMMITTEE. (1) There is hereby created in the state treasury the snowmobile search and rescue fund. Moneys in the snowmobile search and rescue fund shall be perpetually appropriated to and shall be used by the director of the Idaho state police for the purpose of defraying costs of search and rescue operations which are conducted by a county sheriff’s office to assist or recover individuals riding snowmobiles, and for no other purpose. One hundred percent (100%) of the moneys distributed to the fund pursuant to section 67-7106, Idaho Code, shall be deposited to the credit of the state snowmobile search and rescue fund. The fund shall be administered in the same manner as the state search and rescue fund created in section 67-2913, Idaho Code. The director of the Idaho state police is authorized to allocate up to ten percent (10%) of the moneys for reimbursement of administrative expenses.

(2) In the event the balance in the state snowmobile search and rescue fund exceeds thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) on July 1 of any year, moneys in excess of thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) shall be divided into two (2) equal parts and distributed to the:

(a) Training subaccount of the search and rescue fund created in section 67-2913, Idaho Code; and

(b) State snowmobile fund created in section 67-7106, Idaho Code, to be used exclusively by the director of the Idaho department of parks and recreation for snowmobile trail groomer replacement.

(3) The state treasurer shall invest all moneys in the state snowmobile search and rescue fund and the interest and proceeds earned on such investments shall be returned to the state snowmobile search and rescue fund.

(4) In the event that all moneys in the state snowmobile search and rescue fund are exhausted or no longer available, nothing in this chapter shall be construed to absolve any entity which would otherwise provide applicable services, from conducting search and rescue operations to assist or recover individuals riding snowmobiles. Nothing in this chapter shall be construed to limit recovery of moneys solely to the state snowmobile search and rescue fund for search and rescue operations assisting or recovering individuals riding snowmobiles.

(5) A three (3) member advisory committee shall review the operation and disbursement of moneys from the fund at the end of each fiscal year, and shall report to the fund administrator any proposed guidelines or policies deemed appropriate to improve operation of the fund. The committee shall be comprised of one (1) representative from the Idaho state snowmobile association, one (1) representative from the Idaho sheriffs’ association, and one (1) representative appointed by the director of the Idaho department of parks and recreation. The respective organizations shall be responsible for reimbursing their member representative for any expenses incurred for service on the committee.

History:

[67-2913A, added 2005, ch. 141, sec. 1, p. 434.]