§ 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.