Amendment ID: S2800-78

Amendment 78

Continued Education

Mr. Rush moves to amend the bill by inserting after section 73 the following section:-

"SECTION XX. Said chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 116G, as so appearing, the following section:-Section 116H. In addition to any benefits received pursuant to section 108L of chapter, any certified law enforcement officer shall also be eligible to receive each fiscal year a bonus for exceeding the minimum training requirements established by the municipal police training committee.

The benefits made available under this section shall be conditioned on the successful completion of eligible coursework as determined by the municipal police training committee established in section 116. The committee shall establish by regulation the curriculum of courses that may result in a bonus under this section, and may either offer such courses itself, or establish a process by which independent educational institutions can be accredited for providing such courses. Such courses shall be in addition to, and not in place of, course work that is a part of an officer’s annual in-service training requirement as determined by the committee. The courses may cover such subjects as the committee deems appropriate, but shall at a minimum cover:

(i) Proficiency in a foreign language relevant to police work in the jurisdiction in which the individual licensed officer is employed;6 of 18

(ii) Advanced first aid;

(iii) Advanced domestic violence and sexual violence training;

(iv) Advanced de-escalation techniques;

(v) Narcotics training;

(vi) Advanced training in bias-free policing.

Annual base salary increases shall be awarded in the following increments per level of achievement:

Level 1 $1,000

Level 2 $2,500

Level 3 $5,000

The committee shall determine what courses or sequences of courses will result in attainment of the foregoing levels. A bonus shall be paid by the public employer, payable in biweekly increments, for the remainder of the fiscal year upon completion of the coursework required for such bonus, and shall be paid for coursework completed during that fiscal year, but shall not roll forward to subsequent fiscal years. Officers may not receive credit in a fiscal year for courses completed in a prior fiscal year, and may not receive an incentive for re-taking a course the officer has previously taken. Officers may not receive payment for more than one level in one fiscal year.

The committee shall establish quality guidelines, including, but not limited to, standards and review processes, for courses that are eligible for bonuses under this section. The committee shall certify annually that any independent educational institution offering the courses meets or exceeds the academic standards established by the above-mentioned guidelines. The committee shall consult with the department of higher education as part of its certification process for any independent educational institution. The committee shall establish a program of qualifying course offerings not later than May 1 of each calendar year.

This section shall apply to law enforcement officers employed by the Commonwealth and to any law enforcement officer employed by any city or town that accepts the provisions of this section. For purposes of this section, “law enforcement officer” shall be defined according to section 220."