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

SPONSOR Rodella

DATE TYPED 02/10/05 HB 210/aHGUAC

SHORT TITLE College Credit Requirement for State Police

SB

ANALYST Ford

APPROPRIATION

Appropriation Contained Estimated Additional Impact Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY05

FY06

FY05

FY06

See Narrative

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Public Safety (DPS)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of HGUAC Amendment

The House Government and Urban Affairs Committee amendment requires members of the New

Mexico state police to have completed 30 hours of college credit at the time of their appoint-

ment.

Synopsis of Original Bill

House Bill 210 removes the current requirement that members of the New Mexico state police

have completed college credit hours and requires instead that state police have received a high

school diploma or its equivalent at the time of their appointment.

Significant Issues

Current law requires state police to have completed not less than 60 hours of college credit at the

time of their appointment or have completed 30 hours of credit and, no later than 2 years follow-

ing appointment, have completed the additional 30 hours of credit.

House Bill 210/aHGUAC -- Page 2

According to DPS, recruits are accepted into state police recruit schools without any college

credit hours. The state police have partnered with the San Juan Community College to ensure

that all applicants receive 30 college credit hours upon graduating from recruit school. However,

recruits have to pay this cost themselves, which is approximately $300.

All newly commissioned officers have two years to obtain the remaining college credit. Officers

who fail to meet the 60 credit requirement are usually terminated unless extenuating circum-

stances exist.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

DPS indicates there would be no fiscal impact because the cost to obtain the necessary college

credits is borne by the officers.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

The cost of obtaining the necessary credits is borne by the officers. For those who enter recruit

schools without any credits can earn 30 credits through the state police’s partnership with San

Juan Community College at a cost of approximately $300. The officer must then earn the re-

maining credits and his/her own cost over the next two years. For officers stationed in remote

areas, lack of access to community college may pose an obstacle to this effort.

ALTERNATIVES

DPS suggests that possible alternatives would be to keep the current requirement but allow offi-

cers up to three years to obtain the additional credit following recruit school, or to allow the state

police chief the latitude to extend the length of time to obtain the required credit hours.

POSSIBLE QUESTIONS

Could this change help the state police recruit more applicants.

EF/lg:yr