OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS
Legislative Office Building, Room 5200
Hartford, CT 06106 (860) 240-0200
http://www.cga.ct.gov/ofa
sHB-5372
AN ACT CONCERNING PERIODIC BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
ASSESSMENTS, POLICE OFFICER RECRUITMENT, SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICERS, REPORTING OF VIOLATIONS TO THE
POLICE OFFICER STANDARDS AND TRAINING COUNCIL,
INVESTIGATIONS BY THE INSPECTOR GENERAL AND
MINIMUM STANDARDS AND PRACTICES FOR THE
ADMINISTRATION, MANAGEMENT AND OPERATION OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT UNITS.
Primary Analyst: ME 4/13/22
Contributing Analyst(s): DD, PR, JS
OFA Fiscal Note
State Impact:
Agency Affected Fund-Effect FY 23 $ FY 24 $
Higher Education Constituent
Units
Various - Cost 221,122 None
Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection
GF - Cost 144,188 144,188
State Comptroller - Fringe
Benefits
1
GF - Cost 58,439 58,439
Note: GF=General Fund; Various=Various
Municipal Impact:
Municipalities Effect FY 23 $ FY 24 $
Various Municipalities Potential
Savings
See Below See Below
Explanation
The bill makes various changes regarding law enforcement units
resulting in a cost to various agencies and a potential savings to
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 40.53% of payroll in FY 23. 2022HB-05372-R000493-FN.DOCX Page 2 of 3
municipalities, described below.
Sections 1-2 make changes to police officer behavioral health
assessments and expand the requirements for law enforcement unit
guidelines on minority police recruitment, resulting in no fiscal impact
to the state.
Section 3 requires a study by a public higher education institution
that is anticipated to result in a total estimated cost of $221,122 to either
the Board of Regents or the University of Connecticut, across FY 22 and
FY 23. The bill prescribes extensive research and a report to be
completed in approximately six months. It is anticipated that the depth
and speed of these activities will require two professors and two part-
time graduate assistants at: (1) salary costs totaling approximately
$110,711; and (2) fringe benefit costs of an estimated $110,412.
2
If the
study begins in FY 22, then total costs may be split between FY 22 (an
estimated $36,854 for one-month costs) and FY 23 ($184,268 for five-
month costs). These costs may be funded by either the General Fund or
other higher education institution revenues (e.g., tuition). If wage costs
are funded through the General Fund, then the fringe benefits costs will
be incurred within the Office of the State Comptroller.
Sections 4-5 require the Police Officer Standards and Training
Council (POST) to notify the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) if a
municipal chief law enforcement office or the Department of Emergency
Services and Public Protection fails to make a required use of excessive
force report to POST. There is no fiscal impact for the OIG to conduct
these additional investigations of failure to report as it is already the
OIG's duty to investigate use of excessive force.
Section 6 requires POST to develop three tiers of minimum standards
2
The fringe benefit costs for employees funded out of other appropriated funds are
budgeted within the fringe benefit account of those funds, as opposed to the fringe
benefit accounts within the Office of the State Comptroller. The estimated active
employee fringe benefit cost associated with most personnel changes for other
appropriated fund employees is 99.73% of payroll in FY 23.
2022HB-05372-R000493-FN.DOCX Page 3 of 3
and practices for law enforcement units resulting in POST needing to
hire two field program assistants for a cost of $202,627 in FY 22 and FY
23 (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 and approximately 100 would
need to start the process from the beginning.
Section 6 also results in 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.
The Out Years
The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would
continue into the future subject to inflation.