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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T



SPONSOR: Kissner DATE TYPED: 03/29/00 HB 7
SHORT TITLE: NM State Police Education Qualifications SB
ANALYST: Trujillo

APPROPRIATION



Appropriation Contained
Estimated Additional Impact
 Recurring

or Non-Rec

 Fund

Affected

FY00 FY01 FY00 FY01
NFI NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)



Duplicates/Conflicts with/Companion to/Relates to



SOURCES OF INFORMATION





SUMMARY



Synopsis of Bill



House Bill 7 amends Section 29-2-6 NMSA 1978 to revise the education qualifications for new state police officers. It allows members of the New Mexico State Police, at the time of their appointment, to have completed thirty (30) hours of college credit, and to complete no less than an additional thirty (30) hours of college credit within two years after appointment.



Significant Issues



Replaces the previous qualification of sixty (60) hours of college credit to have been completed upon appointment.



FISCAL IMPLICATIONS



DPS reports there may be significant fiscal impact on the State Police Division if the division is required to pay for the employee's additional college hours. The department's current tuition reimbursement policy state s that if any employee is directed by a supervisor to attend a course, or a course is part of an employee's certification or job requirement, then the division for which the employee works must pay. DPS may want to re-evaluate the current tuition reimbursement policy.



ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS



Minimal.



TECHNICAL ISSUES



DPS may want to re-evaluate the department's current tuition policy in order to avoid significant fiscal impact on general fund appropriations.



OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES



DPS reports this bill could have a great impact on the number of applicants available for recruiting. A number of applicants have some college credits, but not enough to enter the recruit school This would also allow recruiting officers to recruit applicants with no college credits, and give them a chance to continue.



LAT/gm