Master FIR (1988)

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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR:	Madalena		DATE TYPED:	02/26/01		HB	HJM52
SHORT TITLE:		Study Funding Issues for Law Enforcement				SB
					ANALYST:		Trujillo

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained

Estimated Additional Impact

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY01

FY02

FY01

FY02

NFI

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Attorney General (AG)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

HJM52 requires a Committee to be formed to study the fiscal issues identified in the memorial. The Committee will consist of the Secretary of Department of Public Safety, three representatives from law enforcement agencies, three representatives from county sheriffs departments, three representatives from Indian tribes or pueblos, one from the scientific laboratory division and one from the metropolitan forensic service center. The subjects to be studied by the Committee are outlined as follows:

Why does the Law Enforcement Academy not offer basic law enforcement training for free to local public bodies and Indian tribes as per Section 29-7-12?
Why does UNM, Human Services Department and the Department of Health not offer timely, criminal forensic services (handwriting, toxicology, chemistry, photography, medicine, ballistics) for identification and prosecution of criminals free of charge to enforcement officers?
How does the salary structure for state employees make it difficult to hire and retain forensic scientist to perform criminal forensic services in a timely manner?
Why are sheriffs paid a significantly lower salary than their undersheriffs?
Why do distribution rates from the Law Enforcement Protection Fund vary to municipalities, counties universities, and Indian tribes or pueblos?

RELATIONSHIP

Relates to C/S HB42 which analyzes changes in distribution from the Law Enforcement Protection Fund.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

The AG reports Section 29-7-12 limits the Law Enforcement Academy to charging state entities for cost incurred in the basic training of officers. It does not allow local public bodies (as defined in the statute) or Indian tribes or pueblos to be charged for such courses.

Regarding the issue of why some undersheriffs are paid more than the sheriffs, Section 4-44-1 provides the salaries paid to elected county officials and does not control undersheriffs or other subordinates.

LAT/njw