Sponsor Statement for House Bill 261

"An Act relating to a surcharge imposed for violations of state or municipal law and to the Alaska police training fund"

The Alaska Police Training Fund, created in 1994 by the legislature, was established January 1, 1996. The purpose of the fund is to " . . . provide a stable funding source for law enforcement and corrections officer training. . ." To this end, the legislature established a schedule of surcharges to be applied to various offenses and provided that the equivalent of the surcharges collected be deposited in the Police Training Fund. From that fund the legislature may appropriate amounts for the operation of the Public Safety Training Academy and for training programs established by the Alaska Police Standards Council.

House Bill 261 expands the list of offenses on which a surcharge may be imposed and increases existing surcharges. Its purpose is to provide additional funding for public safety training and obtain that funding from the surcharges imposed on individuals who violate the law.

Each year the Alaska Public Safety Training Academy in Sitka requires general fund appropriations in addition to what it receives through the police training fund. This is also true of training programs established by the Alaska Police Standards Council. Hopefully, the additional revenue received from the enactment of HB 261 will stabilize and perhaps reduce the amount of general fund appropriations needed to sufficiently fund our public safety training programs.

HB261/SS/1/21/98

Sponsor Statement for HB 261

An Act relating to a surcharge imposed for violations of state or municipal law

HB 261 will provide funding to the Alaska Police Standards Council to fulfill their obligation, under AS 18.65.230, by making available criminal justice education and training to all municipal and state law enforcement officers, corrections, probation and parole officers and village public safety officers. This funding will relieve the demand for training funds from ever decreasing department and state revenues.

Civil actions resulting from inadequate training are continuing to increase. The end cost of providing adequate training is negligible when compared to the cost associated with lawsuits and their resultant judgment. This bill will provide police and correctional officers the professional training they require, which will facilitate the reduction of liable incidents.

This legislation will enable the Alaska Police Standard Council to fully support basic level police training to 48 law enforcement agencies, as well as in-service training to state troopers, 12 correctional institutions and village public safety officers.