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*sb0380*
SENATE BILL 380
E4 (4lr1116)
ENROLLED BILL
— Judicial Proceedings/Appropriations —
Introduced by Senators West, Carozza, Watson, Klausmeier , Smith, and James
Read and Examined by Proofreaders:
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
_______________________________________________
Proofreader.
Sealed with the Great Seal and presented to the Governor, for his approval this
_______ day of _______________ at ________________________ o’clock, ________M.
______________________________________________
President.
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
2 SENATE BILL 380
(1) one member of the Senate of Maryland, appointed by the Chair of the 1
Senate Judicial Proceedings Committee; 2
(2) one member of the House of Delegates, appointed by the Chair of the 3
House Judiciary Committee; 4
(3) the Secretary of the Department of State Police, or the Secretary’s 5
designee; 6
(4) the Public Defender, or the Public Defender’s designee; 7
(5) the Attorney General, or the Attorney General’s designee; 8
(6) the President of the Maryland State’s Attorneys’ Association, or the 9
President’s designee; 10
(7) the President of the Maryland Chiefs of Police Association, or the 11
President’s designee; 12
(8) one member with expertise in the field of effective policing, designated 13
by the President of the Fraternal Order of Police; 14
(9) the Executive Director of the Maryland Commission on Criminal 15
Sentencing Policy, or the Executive Director’s designee; 16
(10) the President of the Maryland chapter of the National Organization of 17
Black Law Enforcement Executives, or the President’s designee; 18
(11) the President of the Hispanic American Law Enforcement Association, 19
or the President’s designee; 20
(10) (12) the following members, appointed by the Governor: 21
(i) one representative of the Fraternal Order of Police; 22
(ii) one representative from the National Association for the 23
Advancement of Colored People; and 24
(iii) one representative with expertise in human resources; 25
(iv) one representative with expertise in police practices; 26
(v) one representative with expertise in police retention and 27
recruitment; and 28
(vi) one two citizen representative representatives; 29
SENATE BILL 380 3
(11) (13) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Association 1
of Counties: 2
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban county; 3
and 4
(ii) one representative of a sheriff’s office for a rural county; and 5
(12) (14) the following members, appointed by the Maryland Municipal 6
League: 7
(i) one representative of a police department for an urban 8
municipality; and 9
(ii) one representative of a police department for a rural 10
municipality. 11
(c) The Governor shall designate the chair of the Workgroup. 12
(d) The Department of State Police shall provide staff for the Workgroup. 13
(e) A member of the Workgroup: 14
(1) may not receive compensation as a member of the Workgroup; but 15
(2) is entitled to reimbursement for expenses under the Standard State 16
Travel Regulations, as provided in the State budget. 17
(f) A member of the Workgroup serves at the pleasure of the person who 18
appointed the member to the Workgroup. 19
(g) At the first meeting of the Workgroup, the Workgroup shall vote to adopt a 20
code of conduct providing for the acceptable conduct of Workgroup members. 21
(h) The Workgroup shall identify and examine issues and factors potentially 22
contributing to recruitment challenges and the decline in police officer retention statewide, 23
including: 24
(1) the number of police officers retiring annually; 25
(2) the number of cadets completing police academy training annually; 26
(3) training hour requirements for police officers; 27
(4) police training academy acceptance requirements; 28
(5) recruitment techniques; 29 4 SENATE BILL 380
(6) requirements for advancement within police departments; 1
(7) the impact of current State and local laws on policing and police 2
departments; 3
(8) current salary ranges, health benefits, and retirement benefits for 4
police officers statewide; 5
(9) to the extent that information is available: 6
(i) the migration of police officers between departments; 7
(ii) the attrition rates of newly certified police officers; 8
(iii) the average length of active service for police officers; and 9
(iv) the number of actively employed police officers who have retired 10
from another police department in State or local government; and 11
(10) perceptions of the occupation among potential recruits. 12
(g) (i) The Workgroup shall: 13
(1) explore recruitment and retention strategies used successfully in other 14
states and countries; 15
(2) design a statewide joint apprenticeship and training council including 16
multiple departments and unions to operate a police–registered apprenticeship beginning 17
in high school; and 18
(3) provide recommendations for reviewing the decline in police retention 19
statewide. 20
(h) (j) On or before December 30, 2025, the Workgroup shall report its findings and 21
recommendations to the Governor and, in accordance with § 2–1257 of the State 22
Government Article, the General Assembly. 23
SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect July 24
1, 2024. It shall remain effective for a period of 2 years and, at the end of June 30, 2026, 25
this Act, with no further action required by the General Assembly, shall be abrogated and 26
of no further force and effect. 27