CS FOR SENATE BILL NO. 145(FIN) "An Act relating to regional and village public safety officers; relating to the expansion of the village public safety officer program to include the provision of probation and parole supervision services; and relating to retirement benefits for village public safety officers." Representative Croft summarized that the legislation supports four new village public safety officers and four new constables. He observed that the original intent was to add six of each. Members were provided with Amendment 1 and Amendment 2 (copies on file). Co-Chair Williams MOVED to ADOPT Amendment 1. [Amendment 1 would provide for a ruling from the United States Internal Revenue Service permitting the retirement system to include village public safety officers.] SENATOR RICK HALFORD, SPONSOR testified in support of the legislation. He explained that Amendment 1 was requested by the Administration. The amendment would not take affect until the ruling. There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment 1 was adopted. Senator Halford explained that Amendment 2 would add the regional public safety officer in the category of peace officer and clarify that they are a new category. There would be three tiers. Two would be in the direct state system. One would be in the contracted system. These would be statewide public safety officer, regional public safety officer and the village public safety officer. This is the career track for the VPSO system. He clarified that the amendment addresses regional public safety officers. There are only four. The regional public safety officer title replaces the title of constable. The positions would be tied to the village public safety officers instead of to the state troopers. They would go into the public safety list. They would have the same training provisions as envisioned under the constable system. There being NO OBJECTION, Amendment 2 was adopted. In response to a question by Vice-Chair Bunde, Senator Halford explained that there were concerns with the involvement by the IRS regarding the addition of non-profit employees in the state retirement system. An opinion from the IRS will be obtained under the provisions of Amendment 1. Vice-Chair Bunde observed that the [regional public safety officer] positions would allow upward movement on the VPSO career track. He expressed concern that the positions could be filled with by persons who were not village public safety officers. Senator Halford expressed confidence that the four positions would come from the VPSO list. He stated that he wanted to prevent an open testing situation, where the highest score without the experience or commitment to the local community would receive the position. The intent is that the positions come from the ranks of the village public safety officers. HCS CSSB 145 (FIN) was REPORTED out of Committee with a "do pass" recommendation and with three previously published fiscal notes (#4 - ADM, #5 - DPS, and # 6 - COR).