2-13-2024 11:27am

New Mexico HB193 Passes Both Houses Sent to Governor - Law Enforcement Retention Disbursements

Addressing Law Enforcement Retention (AlamogordoTownNews.com)

New Mexico House Bill 193 passed both chambers of the legislature and is on the way to the governor for signature and to be enacted into law. The law proposes to amend Section 9-19-14 NMSA 1978 to provide retention differential disbursements from the Law Enforcement Retention Fund to “full-time certified law enforcement officers” employed by one or more law enforcement agencies for requisite years of service, add a new retention differential disbursement for those officers with twenty or more service years, require law enforcement agencies to comply with the Law Enforcement Training Act and provide additional information for disbursement, and appropriate a recurring $1,000,000 from the general fund to cover the annual cost difference for implementation.

The Department of Public Safety strongly endorsed passage...

"DPS strongly supports this legislation as it promotes law enforcement inclusivity and retention incentives for law enforcement officers throughout the State. More officers would be eligible for the retention stipends, hence increasing the number of law enforcement officers willing to stay and
work in our state.

An identified issue regarding funding for LERF is that LEPF funding has been a continued source of concern for this fund. LERF’s dependency on LEPF and other funds can be disconcerting at times, and, in the event the fund was to be depleted entirely, LERF could be perceived as a disincentive rather than an incentive in the law enforcement community. DPS is recommending the $1 million general fund appropriation for this legislation, as this fund cannot continue to survive and grow without it."

This bill had strong support in both houses having passed in the House of Representatives with Yea:61 and Nay:0, and then assed in the Senate - Yea:38 and Nay:0.