STATEMENT TO

[First Reprint]

ASSEMBLY, No. 1856

with Assembly Floor Amendments

(Proposed By Assemblyman BLEE)

ADOPTED: MARCH 13, 1997

      These Assembly amendments adds the officers and troopers of the State Police and State corrections officers to those who are eligible to participate in the "Body Armor Replacement Fund" program.

      Under the provisions of the amendments, the Attorney General, with the assistance of the Superintendent of State Police and the Commissioner of Corrections, is to establish a vest distribution schedule for the State Police and State corrections. Like the local law enforcement officer program, these schedules are to be based on a five tear replacement cycle. To the greatest extent practicable, the State Police schedule is to provide for a balance among the number of State Police officers receiving vests in each of the five years of the cycle. In the case of State corrections officers, the schedule is to give first priority to those officers assigned supervision and control responsibilities in the State's maximum security prisons. Second priority is to be given those officers assigned supervision and control duties in the State's medium security prisons. Due to this prioritization, the amendments specify that the distribution schedule for the State's corrections officers does not have to provide for a balance among the number of officers receiving vests in each of the five years of the cycle.

      Finally, the amendments postpone until the next fiscal year the amount to be annually allocated to fund and operate the "Law Enforcement Officer Crisis Intervention Services" telephone hotline. The amendments also clarify the amount so allocated is not to exceed $250,000 annually.