Fiscal impact reports (FIRs) are prepared by the Legislative Finance Committee (LFC) for standing finance
committees of the Legislature. LFC does not assume responsibility for the accuracy of these reports if they
are used for other purposes.
F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T
SPONSOR Hall II/Lundstrom
LAST UPDATED
ORIGINAL DATE 3/14/25
SHORT TITLE Law Enforcement Recruitment & Retention
BILL
NUMBER
House Memorial
57
ANALYST Sanchez
ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT*
(dollars in thousands)
Agency/Program
FY25 FY26 FY27
3 Year
Total Cost
Recurring or
Nonrecurring
Fund
Affected
DPA/PERA
No fiscal
impact
No fiscal
impact
No fiscal
impact
No fiscal
impact
Recurring General Fund
Parentheses ( ) indicate expenditure decreases.
*Amounts reflect most recent analysis of this legislation.
Sources of Information
LFC Files
Agency Analysis was Solicited but Not Received From
Department of Public Safety (DPS) Public Employee Retirement Association (PERA)
Because of the short timeframe between the introduction of this bill and its first hearing, LFC has
yet to receive analysis from state, education, or judicial agencies. If that analysis is received, this
analysis could be updated.
SUMMARY
Synopsis of House Memorial 57
House Memorial 57 (HM57) requests a collaborative study on the recruitment and retention of
New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy instructors. The memorial calls for participation from
a designee of the Department of Public Safety, the director of the New Mexico Law Enforcement
Academy, the deputy director of training for the New Mexico Law Enforcement Academy, and a
designee from the Public Employees Retirement Association. The group is tasked with
formulating a consensus recommendation and presenting its findings to the legislative interim
committee charged with reviewing investments and pensions no later than September 15, 2025.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS
Because HM57 is a memorial, it does not carry a direct fiscal impact. However, the requested
study may result in indirect costs associated with staff time, administrative support, and potential
travel expenses for stakeholder meetings. If the study leads to policy recommendations affecting
compensation, benefits, or training funding, future appropriations could be required.
House Memorial 57 – Page 2
SIGNIFICANT ISSUES
The memorial aligns with ongoing efforts to strengthen public safety workforce retention. Recent
reports indicate the number of certified law enforcement officers in New Mexico increased by
approximately 27 percent between 2020 and 2024, rising from 4,024 to 5,111 officers. Despite
this growth, vacancy rates in public safety agencies remain a challenge, and strengthening
training programs is essential to maintaining workforce quality. Recent statutory changes have
increased the standards for certification and decertification of law enforcement officers, raising
the demand for highly qualified instructors. If instructor retention is affected by compensation or
benefits, the inclusion of the Public Employees Retirement Association in the study suggests that
retirement incentives may be a factor in recruitment challenges.
If the study identifies salary competitiveness as a primary barrier to instructor retention,
policymakers may need to consider increased funding for instructor salaries. In addition to state
appropriations, federal or state grants could be explored to support instructor training and
retention efforts. To ensure timely legislative action, an interim progress report from the study
group could provide valuable insight before the final recommendations are presented to the
legislative committee.
SS/hj