EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
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SENATE BILL 18
E4 3lr0965
(PRE–FILED) CF HB 308
By: Senator West Senators West and Hester, Hester, Salling, and Carozza
Requested: November 19, 2022
Introduced and read first time: January 11, 2023
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted with floor amendments
Read second time: March 1, 2023
CHAPTER ______
AN ACT concerning 1
Police Recruitment and Retention Workgroup 2
FOR the purpose of establishing the Police Recruitment and Retention Workgroup to study 3
issues and factors potentially contributing to the decline in police retention 4
statewide; and generally relating to the Police Recruitment and Retention 5
Workgroup. 6
SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 7
That: 8
(a) There is a Police Recruitment and Retention Workgroup. 9
(b) The Workgroup consists of the following members: 10
(1) two members of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the President of 11
the Senate; 12
(2) two members of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Speaker of 13
the House; 14
(3) the Secretary of the Department of State Police, or the Secretary’s 15
designee; 16
(4) the Public Defender, or the Public Defender’s designee; 17 2 SENATE BILL 18
(5) the Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee; 1
(6) the President of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, or the 2
President’s designee; 3
(7) the President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, or the 4
President’s designee; 5
(7) (8) one member with expertise in the field of effective policing, designated 6
by the President of the Fraternal Order of Police; and 7
(8) (9) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 8
(i) one representative of the Fraternal Order of Police; 9
(ii) one representative from the American Civil Liberties Union; and 10
(ii) one representative from the Maryland Sheriffs’ Association; 11
(iii) one representative from the Maryland Chiefs of Police 12
Association; 13
(iv) one representative from Law Enforcement Action Partnership, 14
Inc.; 15
(v) one representative from the Vanguard Justice Society, Inc.; 16
(vi) one representative from the National Association for the 17
Advancement of Colored People; and 18
(iii) (vii) one citizen representative; 19
(9) (10) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Association 20
of Counties: 21
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban county; 22
and 23
(ii) one representative of a sheriff’s office for a rural county; and 24
(10) (11) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Municipal 25
League: 26
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban 27
municipality; and 28
SENATE BILL 18 3
(ii) one representative of a police department for a rural 1
municipality. 2
(c) The Governor shall designate the chair of the Workgroup. 3
(d) The Department of State Police shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 4
(e) A member of the Workgroup: 5
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 6
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 7
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 8
(f) The Workgroup shall identify and examine issues and factors potentially 9
contributing to recruitment challenges and the decline in police officer retention statewide, 10
including: 11
(1) the number of police officers retiring annually; 12
(2) the number of cadets completing police academy training annually; 13
(3) current salary ranges for police officers statewide; 14
(4) current retirement and health benefits and, pension programs, and 15
other fringe benefits available to police officers; 16
(5) training hour requirements for police officers; 17
(6) police training academy acceptance requirements; 18
(7) recruitment techniques; 19
(8) requirements for advancement within police departments; and 20
(9) the impact of current State and local laws on policing and police 21
departments; 22
(10) to the extent that information is available: 23
(i) the migration of police officers between departments; 24
(ii) the attrition rates of newly certified police officers; 25
(iii) the average length of active service for police officers; and 26
4 SENATE BILL 18
(iv) the number of actively employed police officers who have retired 1
from another police department in State or local government; and 2
(11) perceptions of the occupation among potential recruits. 3
(g) The Workgroup shall explore: 4
(1) recruitment and retention strategies used successfully in other states 5
and countries; and 6
(2) design a statewide joint apprenticeship and training council including 7
multiple departments and unions to operate a police registered apprenticeship beginning 8
in high school. 9
(g) (h) On or before December 30, 2024, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 10
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2 –1257 of the State 11
Government Article, the General Assembly. 12
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER EN ACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 13
1, 2023. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2025, 14
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 15
of no further force and effect. 16
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.