H.395, introduced by Representative Greer of Bennington, aims to establish the Municipal Law Enforcement Assistance Program, which will allow municipalities to implement a local penalty surcharge on civil penalties collected by the Judicial Bureau for violations occurring within their jurisdiction. The bill stipulates that municipalities can vote to assess a local penalty surcharge of $75.00, which will be collected and administered by the Judicial Bureau. The funds generated from this surcharge must be used exclusively for establishing, supporting, maintaining, or improving law enforcement services within the municipality.

The bill includes provisions for the administration of the program, requiring the Judicial Bureau to remit collected surcharges to the respective municipalities on a quarterly basis. Additionally, it mandates that municipalities notify the Judicial Bureau of any affirmative votes to assess the surcharge and provides a mechanism for refunding surcharges if assessed in municipalities that have not authorized such a surcharge. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.