Bill Text: NH SB59 | 2025 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Establishing a recruitment incentive program within the community college system for public safety communicators and dispatchers and making an appropriation therefor.
Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill
Status: (Introduced) 2025-01-15 - Hearing: 01/21/2025, Room 101, Legislative Office Building, 09:15 am; Senate Calendar 6 [SB59 Detail]
Download: New_Hampshire-2025-SB59-Introduced.html
SB 59-FN - AS INTRODUCED
2025 SESSION
25-0344
05/09
SENATE BILL 59-FN
SPONSORS: Sen. Watters, Dist 4; Sen. Long, Dist 20; Sen. Rochefort, Dist 1; Sen. Lang, Dist 2; Sen. Avard, Dist 12; Sen. Abbas, Dist 22; Sen. Prentiss, Dist 5; Sen. Gannon, Dist 23; Sen. Innis, Dist 7; Sen. Altschiller, Dist 24; Sen. Carson, Dist 14; Sen. McGough, Dist 11; Sen. Fenton, Dist 10; Sen. McConkey, Dist 3; Sen. Rosenwald, Dist 13; Sen. Perkins Kwoka, Dist 21; Rep. Roy, Rock. 31; Rep. Rhodes, Ches. 17; Rep. A. Murray, Hills. 20; Rep. Meuse, Rock. 37
COMMITTEE: Education
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ANALYSIS
This bill expands the law enforcement, firefighter, and EMT recruitment and retention program in the community college system to include public safety communicators and dispatchers. The bill also establishes the police standards and training recruitment and retention fund, administered by the police standards and training council in support of the recruitment and retention program. The bill makes an appropriation to the police standards and training council for this purpose.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
25-0344
05/09
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Twenty Five
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Community College System of New Hampshire; Law Enforcement Officers, Professional Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians Career Development, Recruitment, and Retention Program. Amend RSA 188-F:70 to read as follows:
188-F:70 Program Established.
I. There is hereby established in the community college system of New Hampshire the New Hampshire law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians career development, recruitment, and retention program. To the extent of available funds, New Hampshire law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians may receive reimbursement, upon successful completion, for the cost of one [course] or more courses per semester, including required fees, in a degree program at an institution in the community college system as approved for that individual upon recommendation of the person's supervisor and the committee. Such courses may be in any field leading to a degree in an area of study approved by the commission. Eligible individuals may receive reimbursement for non-credit or degree courses, upon successful completion, as approved for that individual upon recommendation of the person's supervisor and the committee.
II. Upon employment by a New Hampshire fire [service] or law enforcement department, a graduate of the New Hampshire fire or police academy, or the entity that paid for the cost, with the recommendation of the employee's supervisor and the approval of the committee, shall receive full reimbursement for the cost of the academy not covered by other funding sources.
2 Law Enforcement Officers, Professional Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians Career Development, Recruitment, and Retention Program Committee. Amend the section heading and RSA 188-F:71, I to read as follows:
188-F:71 Law Enforcement Officers, Professional Firefighters, Public Safety Telecommunicators and Dispatchers, and Emergency Medical Technicians Career Development, Recruitment, and Retention Program Committee Established.
I. There is hereby established the law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians career development, recruitment, and retention program committee. The members of the committee shall be as follows:
(a) The commissioner of the New Hampshire department of safety, or designee. The commissioner, or designee, shall serve as chairperson of the committee.
(b) The chancellor of the community college system of New Hampshire, or designee.
(c) The director of the New Hampshire police standards and training council, or designee.
(d) The director of the New Hampshire Fire Academy, or designee.
(e) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, or designee.
(f) The president of the New Hampshire Police Association, or designee.
(g) The president of the New Hampshire state police union, or designee.
(h) The president of the Professional Firefighters of New Hampshire, or designee.
(i) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Emergency Medical Technicians, or designee.
(j) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Fire Chiefs, or designee.
(k) The president of the New Hampshire Emergency Dispatchers Association, or designee.
(l) Three educators from the community college system of New Hampshire, appointed by the chancellor of the community college system of New Hampshire.
3 Law Enforcement Officers, Professional Firefighters, and Emergency Medical Technicians Career Development, Recruitment, and Retention Fund. Amend RSA 188-F:72 to read as follows:
188-F:72 Law Enforcement Officers, Professional Firefighters, Public Safety Telecommunicators and Dispatchers, and Emergency Medical Technicians Career Development, Recruitment, and Retention Fund Established. There is hereby established in the state treasury a fund to be known as the law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians career development, recruitment, and retention fund. The fund shall be administered by the community college system of New Hampshire. The fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the community college system to support the program established in this subdivision. The community college system shall establish procedures for receiving and disbursing funds, and it shall report to the committee established in RSA 188-F:71 on the operation of the fund. The fund may accept state or federal appropriations or grants, or gifts, grants, or donations from any other source.
4 New Section; New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Recruitment and Retention Fund. Amend RSA 188-F by inserting after section 72 the following new section:
188-F:73 New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Recruitment and Retention Fund. There is hereby established in the state treasury a fund to be known as the New Hampshire police standards and training recruitment and retention fund. The fund shall be administered by the police standards and training council. The fund shall be nonlapsing and continually appropriated to the police standards and training council to support the program established in this subdivision. The police standards and training council shall establish procedures for receiving and disbursing funds, and it shall report to the committee established in RSA 188-F:71 on the operation of the fund. The fund may accept state or federal appropriations or grants, or gifts, grants, or donations from any other source.
5 New Subparagraph; Dedicated Funds; New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Recruitment and Retention Fund. Amend RSA 6:12, I(b) by inserting after subparagraph (399) the following new subparagraph:
(400) Moneys deposited in the New Hampshire police standards and training recruitment and retention fund established in RSA 188-F:73.
6 Appropriation; New Hampshire Police Standards and Training Council. There is hereby appropriated to the police standards and training council the sum of $125,000 for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026. The sum shall be in addition to any other sums appropriated to police standards and training council. Funds shall be used to support the law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians career development, recruitment, and retention program established in RSA 188-F:70. Of the sum appropriated, up to $125,000 shall be used for New Hampshire police academy cost reimbursement. The governor is authorized to draw a warrant for said sum out of any money in the treasury not otherwise appropriated.
7 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.
25-0344
12/18/24
SB 59-FN- FISCAL NOTE
AS INTRODUCED
FISCAL IMPACT:
|
| |||||
Estimated State Impact | ||||||
| FY 2025 | FY 2026 | FY 2027 | FY 2028 | ||
Revenue | $0 | Up to $100,000 Increase | Indeterminable | |||
Revenue Fund(s) | CCSNH Revenue | |||||
Expenditures* | $0 | $125,000 | Indeterminable | |||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
Appropriations* | $0 | $125,000 | $0 | $0 | ||
Funding Source(s) | General Fund | |||||
*Expenditure = Cost of bill *Appropriation = Authorized funding to cover cost of bill | ||||||
METHODOLOGY:
This bill:
- Expands the law enforcement, firefighter, and EMT recruitment and retention program in the Community College System to include public safety communicators and dispatchers.
- Establishes the police standards and training recruitment and retention fund, administered by the Police Standards and Training Council (PSTC) in support of the recruitment and retention program.
- Appropriates $125,000 in general funds in the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026 (FY 2026) to the Police Standards and Training Council to support the New Hampshire law enforcement officers, professional firefighters, public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, and emergency medical technicians career development, recruitment, and retention program under RSA 188-F:70.
The Police Standards and Training Council states the appropriated funds would be used to off-set costs absorbed by the recruit, or agency, regarding ancillary uniforms and equipment needed by the recruit to attend the academy, as well as to help cover costs of specificized training opportunities for certified officers to help retain them at their respective agencies. To the extent this bill appropriates only $125,000 in FY 2026, it is assumed expenditures would be $125,000 in FY 2026, and indeterminable in FY 2027 and beyond, as no funding source is identified.
The Community College System of New Hampshire states it could see an increase in revenue (up to $100,000 per year) based on the program expansion and the additional courses that would be eligible under this bill.
AGENCIES CONTACTED:
Police Standards and Training Council and Community College System of New Hampshire
