LAW ENFORCEMENT TRAINING - S.B. 553 (S-3): FLOOR ANALYSIS

Senate Bill 553 (Substitute S-3 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor: Senator William Van Regenmorter

Committee: Judiciary

CONTENT

The bill would amend the Michigan Law Enforcement Officers Training Council Act (which the bill would rename the "Commission on Police Standards Act") to reestablish the Law Enforcement Council as the "Commission on Police Standards", and to do the following:

-- Require the Commission to promulgate rules establishing law enforcement officer minimum standards, and to grant certification to a person who met the standards.

-- Require the Commission to promulgate rules for the revocation of certification.

-- Require a law enforcement agency to maintain an employment history record for each officer employed by the agency, and to report the date on which each person began or terminated employment as a law enforcement officer for the agency.

-- Require the Commission to waive educational requirements for someone who successfully completed the mandatory training and had been continuously employed as a law enforcement officer, but whose employing agency failed to obtain certification for the person.

-- Authorize the Commission to investigate alleged violations of the Act.

-- Allow the Commission to establish and charge fees to recover the cost of testing and training individuals who were not employed by a Michigan law enforcement agency, and to recover the cost of issuing certificates to individuals who were certified as law enforcement officers.

-- Provide that money in the Law Enforcement Officer Training Fund would have to be spent for the maintenance and administration of police officer testing and certification, and that expenditures from the Fund for police officer testing and certification could not exceed the revenue generated from the fees collected for that purpose.

-- Require the rules to provide for the suspension of an officer from use of the Law Enforcement Information Network (LEIN) if he or she wrongfully disclosed information from the LEIN.

MCL 28.601 et al. - Legislative Analyst: S. Lowe

FISCAL IMPACT

The bill would have a minimal fiscal impact on State and local government. Additional administrative responsibilities assigned to the State could be performed using existing resources. Some local law enforcement agencies could be required to increase clerical efforts in order to comply with the requirement that they maintain an employment history record for each law enforcement officer hired. The establishment of testing and training fees for individuals not employed by a Michigan law enforcement agency and a fee to recover the cost of issuing and reissuing certificates for certified law enforcement officers would result in additional restricted funds available for testing and certification activities. Should the State set these fees at $50, the additional funds for testing and certification could total $65,000 or more annually.

Date Completed: 11-14-97 - Fiscal Analyst: B. Baker

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This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.