SB 354-FN – AS AMENDED BY THE HOUSE
02/23/06 1042s
26Apr2006… 1895h
2006 SESSION
09/10
SENATE BILL 354-FN
AN ACT requiring security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force to be fully certified as police officers and including such security officers in group II of the New Hampshire retirement system.
SPONSORS: Sen. Clegg, Dist 14; Sen. D’Allesandro, Dist 20; Sen. Letourneau, Dist 19; Rep. Tholl, Coos 2; Rep. Welch, Rock 8; Rep. Craig, Hills 9; Rep. Clemons, Hills 24
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
This bill requires security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force to be fully certified as police officers by the police standards and training council. The bill also includes such security officers in group II of the New Hampshire retirement system.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
02/23/06 1042s
26Apr2006… 1895h
06-2031
09/10
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Six
AN ACT requiring security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force to be fully certified as police officers and including such security officers in group II of the New Hampshire retirement system.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Department of Safety; Duties of Commissioner. Amend RSA 21-P:4, XI to read as follows:
XI. Have the discretion to grant to security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force, who shall be fully certified as police officers by the police standards and training council, such titles, ranks, and police powers as the commissioner deems necessary [up to and including that of ex officio constables] including the power of arrest for violations of the criminal and motor vehicle laws and the power to serve criminal process, and may limit such powers as deemed necessary. They shall have general police powers on the state office campus and New Hampshire hospital grounds and when in hot pursuit of a person who has committed a crime on the campus or escaped from the hospital, and when acting to transport a patient to or from the hospital, the court, or another mental health facility.
2 Authority of Hospital Security Force Officers. Amend RSA 21-P:7-c, I to read as follows:
I. All security officers of the hospital security force shall possess such police powers as are granted to them by the commissioner of safety pursuant to RSA 21-P:4, XI. All officers of the hospital security force [hired after the effective date of this paragraph] shall be required to [meet the training standards required generally of] be fully certified as police officers by the police standards and training council pursuant to RSA 188-F and in addition shall receive additional training in dealing with persons with mental illness as specified by the commissioner of safety after consultation with the superintendent of the New Hampshire hospital.
3 New Subparagraph; New Hampshire Retirement System; Definitions; Permanent Policeman. Amend RSA 100-A:1, VII by inserting after subparagraph (f) the following new subparagraph:
(g) A security officer of the New Hampshire hospital security force who:
(1) Has the responsibilities granted by the commissioner of safety under RSA 21-P:4, XI;
(2) Has full general arrest powers;
(3) As a job requirement, is fully certified as a police officer by the police standards and training council; and
(4) As a job requirement, meets all physical, mental, educational, and other qualifications for continuing certification as a police officer that may be established by the police standards and training council.
4 New Hampshire Retirement System; Exception From Definition of Permanent Policeman; New Hampshire Hospital Security Officers Deleted. Amend RSA 100-A:1, VII-a(b) to read as follows:
(b) Any bingo or lucky 7 inspector, [security officer appointed pursuant to RSA 21-P:7-b,] any juvenile probation and parole officer, or any person employed in the bureau of trails of the department of resources and economic development; or
5 Transitional Provisions. Any persons employed as security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force on the date this act takes effect and who have not completed the training required by the police standards and training council for certification as full-time police officers shall be scheduled for training at the police academy at the earliest practical time without undue interruption to the security operations at the hospital. No person shall be entitled to join group II of the retirement system without successfully completing all the training and other requirements to be fully certified. Any person employed as a security officer of the security force on the date this act takes effect and who has not successfully completed all the training and requirements for full-time police certification shall be entitled to continue said employment or be transferred to a civilian position at a comparable labor grade at the hospital or the department of safety. All officers hired on or after July 1, 2006, if not already full-time certified, shall successfully complete the police academy within the time specified in RSA 188-F and the rules of the police standards and training council.
6 Effective Date. This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.
LBAO
06-2031
Amended 3/10/06
SB 354 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT requiring security officers of the New Hampshire hospital security force to be fully certified as police officers and including such security officers in group II of the New Hampshire retirement system.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Department of Safety, New Hampshire Retirement System, and Police Standards and Training Council state this bill, as amended by the Senate (Amendment # 2006-1042s), will increase state expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2007 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county, and local revenue or county and local expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Department of Safety and New Hampshire Retirement System state this bill requires security officers of the New Hampshire Hospital security force to be fully certified as police officers by the Police Standards and Training Council, and includes such security officers in Group II of the New Hampshire Retirement System (NHRS). There are currently eleven security officers who would be affected by this bill. The FY 2007 NHRS employer contribution rate for Group I members is 6.81% of salary. In addition, Group I members are required to participate in Social Security (FICA) at 6.2% of salary, resulting in a total employer contribution rate of 13.01% (6.81% + 6.2%). The FY 2007 NHRS employer contribution rate for Group II police officer members is 14.9%, and Group II members do not participate in Social Security. As a result, this bill would increase total annual employer contribution rate for those employers by 1.89% of salary. Assuming salary costs (including overtime and holiday pay) for the eleven officers at $521,081, state expenditures would increase by $9,848 in FY 2007. In FY 2008, the total employer contribution rate is projected to be 14.94% of salary for Group I members (8.74% NHRS + 6.2% FICA) and 18.21% for Group II members, a difference of 3.27%. However, these rates have not been certified by NHRS at this time.
The Police Standards and Training Council states there are currently eleven security officers who would receive training. The number of officers who will be trained each year is indeterminable at this time since this bill states they shall be scheduled for training at the police academy at the earliest practical time without undue interruption to the security operations at the Hospital. The Council states the cost to run an academy session is $15.61 per instructional hour per student. A full-time academy session is 510 hours in length, which would result in a cost per student of $7,961 for the course. Costs would range between $7,961 for one officer to $87,572 for eleven officers.