OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-6597
AN ACT CONCERNING ACCREDITATION, REPORTING
REQUIREMENTS, MENTAL HEALTH, DATA STORAGE SERVICES
AND TRAINING OF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS.
As Amended by House "A" (LCO 9277)
House Calendar No.: 242
Primary Analyst: ME 5/26/21
Contributing Analyst(s):
Reviewer: PR
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection
GF - Cost 139,312 143,491
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits
1
GF - Cost 57,536 59,262
Note: GF=General Fund
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 22 $ FY 23 $
Various Municipalities Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Various Municipalities Potential
Savings
See Below See Below
West Haven Potential
Cost
See Below See Below
Farmington Potential
Revenue
Gain
See Below See Below
Explanation
The bill makes numerous changes affecting state and local law
enforcement resulting in the various impacts described below.
1
The fringe benefit costs for most state employees are budgeted centrally in accounts
administered by the Comptroller. The estimated active employee fringe benefit cost
associated with most personnel changes is 41.3% of payroll in FY 22 and FY 23. 2021HB-06597-R010752-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 3
Sections 1-2 require the Police Officer Standards and Training
Council (POST) to develop three tiers of minimum standards and
practices for law enforcement units resulting in POST needing to hire
two field program assistants for a cost of $196,848 in FY 22 and
$202,753 (costs include salary and fringe benefits). The new employees
are needed to help develop the standards, accredit and reaccredit law
enforcement units, and review and certify unit compliance. It's
anticipated that 150 law enforcement units will have to meet the new
standards, 50 currently meet tier one but approximately 100 would
need to start the process from the beginning.
Sections 1 and 2 also result in a potential savings to municipalities
from eliminating the requirement that law enforcement units receive
accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Law
Enforcement Agencies, Inc (CALEA) by 2025. There is a cost to
receiving accreditation from CALEA related to compliance and
payment to CALEA.
There is also a potential cost to any municipality that does not
comply with guidance regarding reporting procedure, to the extent
that the Office of Policy and Management may withhold state funds
from the local law enforcement unit.
Section 3 prohibits a law enforcement unit from disciplining or
penalizing a police officer as a result of a behavioral health assessment
resulting in no fiscal impact.
Section 4 requires the Department of Administrative Services, in
consultation with various agencies to issue a request for proposal for
the purchase of body-worn recording equipment, digital data storage
devices or services and dashboard cameras to support law
enforcement units and police officers resulting in no fiscal impact.
Section 5 requires POST to develop a training curriculum for police
officers interacting with people who have mental or physical
disabilities resulting in no fiscal impact because POST has the expertise
to meet the requirements of this section. 2021HB-06597-R010752-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 3
Section 6 and 10 make technical and conforming changes resulting
in no fiscal impact.
Sections 7-8 prohibits hiring police officers who were dismissed for
malfeasance or resigned or retired while under investigation resulting
in no fiscal impact to the state.
Section 9 allows the City of West Haven to acquire a mine-resistant,
ambush-protected vehicle from the Town of Farmington. This results
in a potential cost to the City of West Haven, and corresponding
potential revenue gain to the Town of Farmington that will depend on
the provisions of an agreement between the two municipalities for the
acquisition of the vehicle.
House "A" strikes the underlying bill and its associated fiscal impact
resulting in the impact described above.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.