SPONSOR:

Rep. Baumbach & Rep. Yearick & Sen. Paradee

Reps. Cooke, Gray, Osienski, Romer; Sens. Hoffner, Lawson, Pinkney, Poore, Sokola, Sturgeon, Wilson

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HOUSE BILL NO. 68

AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 11 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO THE DELAWARE POLICE TRAINING PROGRAM.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF DELAWARE:

Section 1. Amend § 8409, Title 11 of the Delaware Code by making deletions as shown by strike through and insertions as shown by underline as follows:

§ 8409. Reimbursement.

(a) Every municipality or other governmental unit of this State or the University of Delaware or Delaware State University intending to employ on a permanent basis police officers who have satisfactorily completed the mandatory training as required under this chapter and who have completed their training while in the employ of another municipality or another governmental unit of this State or the University of Delaware or Delaware State University within 4 years from the date of satisfactory completion of such mandatory training, shall reimburse the municipality or other governmental unit or the University of Delaware or Delaware State University with whom the police officer was employed at the time of attending the mandatory training program for the cost of training such officer, which shall include the salary, uniforms and equipment and other training expenses, and all employment benefit expenses, testing, and other expenses, such as medical testing, and ammunition, required to attend the police academy, incurred while the officer was attending the mandatory training program. During the first year after completion of the mandatory training program the municipality or other governmental unit or the University of Delaware or Delaware State University by whom the police officer was employed at the time of attending the mandatory training program shall be reimbursed $40,000 for those expenses. During the second year the municipality or other governmental unit shall be reimbursed $30,000 for those expenses. During the third year the municipality or other government unit shall be reimbursed $20,000 for those expenses. During the fourth year the municipality or other government unit shall be reimbursed $10,000 for those expenses.

(b) After November 7, 2022, the 4 year time period described in subsection (a) shall be determined as follows:

(1) The start of the 4 year time period shall be the date the employee graduates from the police academy.

(2) The end of the 4 year time period shall be the last day the employee works for the employer who is seeking reimbursement.

SYNOPSIS

This Act clarifies former HB 148 from the 151st General Assembly by defining the start and end date of the 4 year lookback period that determines if a municipality, governmental unit, the University of Delaware, or Delaware State University is subject to reimbursement for an employee’s training expenses when the employee is hired by another municipality, governmental unit, the University of Delaware, or Delaware State University.