EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTIN G LAW.
[Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law.
Underlining indicates amendments to bill.
Strike out indicates matter stricken from the bill by amendment or deleted from the law by
amendment.
*sb0380*
SENATE BILL 380
E4 4lr1116
SB 18/23 – JPR CF HB 618
By: Senators West, Carozza, Watson, Klausmeier , Smith, and James
Introduced and read first time: January 17, 2024
Assigned to: Judicial Proceedings
Committee Report: Favorable with amendments
Senate action: Adopted
Read second time: February 12, 2024
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) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the Chair of the 11
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee; 12
(2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Chair of the 13
House Judiciary Committee; 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 380
(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
(8) one member with expertise in the field of effective policing, designated 6
by the President of the Fraternal Order of Police; 7
(9) the Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Criminal 8
Sentencing Policy, or the Executive Director’s designee; 9
(10) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 10
(i) one representative of the Fraternal Order of Police; 11
(ii) one representative from the National Association for the 12
Advancement of Colored People; and 13
(iii) one citizen representative; 14
(11) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Association of 15
Counties: 16
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban county; 17
and 18
(ii) one representative of a sheriff’s office for a rural county; and 19
(12) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Municipal League: 20
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban 21
municipality; and 22
(ii) one representative of a police department for a rural 23
municipality. 24
(c) The Governor shall designate the chair of the Workgroup. 25
(d) The Department of State Police shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 26
(e) A member of the Workgroup: 27
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 28
SENATE BILL 380 3
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 1
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 2
(f) A member of the Workgroup serves at the pleasure of the person who 3
appointed the member to the Workgroup. 4
(g) At the first meeting of the Workgroup, the Workgroup shall vote to adopt a 5
code of conduct providing for the acceptable conduct of Workgroup members. 6
(h) The Workgroup shall identify and examine issues and factors potentially 7
contributing to recruitment challenges and the decline in police officer retention statewide, 8
including: 9
(1) the number of police officers retiring annually; 10
(2) the number of cadets completing police academy training annually; 11
(3) training hour requirements for police officers; 12
(4) police training academy acceptance requirements; 13
(5) recruitment techniques; 14
(6) requirements for advancement within police departments; 15
(7) the impact of current State and local laws on policing and police 16
departments; 17
(8) current salary ranges, health benefits, and retirement benefits for 18
police officers statewide; 19
(9) to the extent that information is available: 20
(i) the migration of police officers between departments; 21
(ii) the attrition rates of newly certified police officers; 22
(iii) the average length of active service for police officers; and 23
(iv) the number of actively employed police officers who have retired 24
from another police department in State or local government; and 25
(10) perceptions of the occupation among potential recruits. 26
(g) (i) The Workgroup shall: 27
4 SENATE BILL 380
(1) explore recruitment and retention strategies used successfully in other 1
states and countries; 2
(2) design a statewide joint apprenticeship and training council including 3
multiple departments and unions to operate a police–registered apprenticeship beginning 4
in high school; and 5
(3) provide recommendations for reviewing the decline in police retention 6
statewide. 7
(h) (j) On or before December 30, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 8
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 9
Government Article, the General Assembly. 10
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 11
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2026, 12
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 13
of no further force and effect. 14
Approved:
________________________________________________________________________________
Governor.
________________________________________________________________________________
President of the Senate.
________________________________________________________________________________
Speaker of the House of Delegates.