Purpose

• This bill focuses on public safety by changing how State Patrol compensation and related salary data are set and studied. It updates how salaries, benefits, and cost reimbursements are defined, and requires regular, detailed surveys to compare State Patrol pay with other police departments.

Main Provisions

• Section 1: State Patrol salary and reimbursement changes

  • Defines which State Patrol positions are involved (patrol troopers, plus possible officers like lieutenant colonel, majors, captains, lieutenants, corporals, sergeants) and who can appoint them.
  • Requires that, except for troopers, promotions use people who have at least five years of experience in patrol roles or as supervisors.
  • States that the salary rates for State Patrol troopers, corporals, and sergeants must include a daily reimbursement for shift differential, meals, and business expenses related to their duties.
  • Lists examples of business expenses covered, including uniform costs, home garaging of squad cars, and maintenance of a home office.

• Section 2: Salary and benefits survey (compensation study)

  • Creates a requirement for a compensation and benefits survey to be conducted by the Legislative Auditor in specified years (and every odd-numbered year after those dates).
  • Covered groups for the survey:
  • Law enforcement officers in certain cities with population and union representation as defined (metro area cities >25,000 in metropolitan counties and first-class cities).
  • State Patrol must be included in the survey.
  • Survey details:
  • Based on the past calendar year and on full-time equivalent employees.
  • Measures base salary, overtime wages, and premium pay (including education pay and longevity pay).
  • Excludes payments made to officers for work for outside entities; includes all benefits (insurance, retirement, pension) and includes both employee and employer contributions.
  • Reporting requirements:
  • Compile results into a report showing each department separately.
  • For each department, explain the salary structure with minimum and maximum salaries and explain benefits and the employee vs. employer contribution options.
  • Present data in a consistent table or grid format for easy comparison.
  • Transmission requirement:
  • By January 15 of the listed years, transmit the survey report to the appropriate chairs and ranking minority members of the relevant House and Senate committees.
  • Legislative intent and potential adjustments:
  • The legislature intends to use survey data to compare salaries and to consider increases for patrol troopers, captains, and lieutenants.
  • The bill allows collective bargaining for salaries but does not require it to be limited or expanded by this survey.
  • Salary adjustments for supervisory ranks should be proportional to adjustments for patrol troopers.
  • The survey scope is focused on patrol troopers; supervisory ranks’ adjustments are tied to trooper adjustments.

• Section 3: Effective date

  • The bill amends the effective date related to a prior law provision (specific date in the excerpt is not shown).

Significant Changes

• Adds a formal, recurring compensation and benefits survey that includes the State Patrol and certain municipalities, with explicit methodology and reporting requirements.
• Reframes and expands what counts as salary, compensation, and benefits (including detailed reimbursement items like shift differential, meals, uniform costs, home garaging, and home office maintenance).
• Creates a structured process to use survey results to guide potential salary increases for patrol ranks, while preserving or clarifying room for collective bargaining.
• Establishes standardized reporting to legislative committees to enable comparison across departments.

Terminology and Key Phrases Included

• State Patrol, patrol troopers, lieutenant colonel, majors, captains, lieutenants, corporals, sergeants
• salary rates, reimbursement, shift differential, meal, business expenses
• uniform costs, home garaging of squad cars, maintenance of home office
• salary and benefits survey, compensation, premium pay, education pay, longevity pay
• base salary, overtime wages, benefits, insurance, retirement, pension
• employee contributions, employer contributions
• full-time equivalent (FTE) employees
• department, city of the first class, city with population > 25,000, metropolitan county
• union certified, Bureau of Mediation Services (BMS)
• legislative auditor
• collective bargaining, salary adjustments, proportional adjustments
• report, transmit to chairs and ranking minority members
• effective date

Relevant Terms state patrol, patrol troopers, salary, compensation, benefits, shift differential, reimbursement, meals, business expenses, uniform costs, home garaging, home office, premium pay, education pay, longevity pay, base salary, overtime, insurance, retirement, pension, employee contributions, employer contributions, full-time equivalent, city of the first class, metro county, union, Bureau of Mediation Services, Legislative Auditor, collective bargaining, salary adjustments, reporting, effective date