N.Y. Executive Law § 846-m: Plan of operation and grant award process

§ 846-m. Plan of operation and grant award process. 1. In accordance

with the legislative intent of this article, the board shall develop and

recommend to the commissioner a plan of operation which shall provide

for a coordinated approach to curtailing motor vehicle theft and motor

vehicle insurance fraud throughout the state. The plan shall provide an

integrated means to detect, prevent, deter and reduce motor vehicle

theft and motor vehicle insurance fraud by providing funds, upon the

recommendation of the board and approved by the commissioner, to meet

these objectives. The plan of operation shall include but not be limited

to: an assessment of the scope of the problem of motor vehicle theft and

motor vehicle insurance fraud, including a regional analysis of the

incidence of motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle insurance fraud and

related activities; an analysis of various methods of combating the

problem; and the development of a request for proposals process,

consistent with the plan, for applications from provider agencies to

receive grants from the fund.

2. (a) The moneys received by the fund shall be expended in a manner

that is consistent with the plan of operation, pursuant to

appropriation, only to reimburse costs incurred by provider agencies for

pilot program activities relating to the detection, prevention or

reduction of motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle insurance fraud.

(b) Activities eligible for funding include, but are not limited to,

the following: prosecution and adjudication services; law enforcement

services; neighborhood or community based programs designed to reduce

the incidence of motor vehicle theft and motor vehicle insurance fraud;

educational programs designed to inform owners of motor vehicles

concerning activities designed to prevent the incidence of theft of

motor vehicles and fraudulent claims practices; and programs designed to

examine, evaluate and make recommendations relating to the efficacy of

motor vehicle theft prevention devices or methods including, but not

limited to, passive tracking devices designed to identify the location

of a motor vehicle at any given point in time and window glass etching

with vehicle identification numbers or any other unique identifying

symbol including decal programs such as New York city's operation combat

auto theft (C.A.T.). Funds provided under this program shall be used to

augment, and not to supplant, the provider agency's current funding, if

any, for motor vehicle theft and insurance fraud detection, prevention,

or reduction activities.

(c) In allocating the moneys for the program, the commissioner, upon

recommendation of the board, shall, to the greatest extent possible,

take into account the geographic incidence of motor vehicle theft and

insurance fraud, whereby localities with the greatest incidence of motor

vehicle theft and insurance fraud shall be targeted for the purposes of

this program.

(d) The state comptroller shall conduct an audit of all moneys

received and expended by the fund as well as all other funds expended

from any other source for the purposes of this program, and shall submit

a written report detailing such audit to the governor and legislature on

or before March first of each year.