This bill amends the existing recruitment and retention program within the New Hampshire community college system to include public safety telecommunicators and dispatchers, in addition to law enforcement officers, firefighters, and EMTs. The new legal language specifies that the program will now support these additional roles and allows for reimbursement for one or more courses per semester, including non-credit courses, upon successful completion. A new committee will oversee the program, which will include a representative from the New Hampshire Emergency Dispatchers Association, ensuring that the interests of dispatchers are represented.

Additionally, the bill establishes the New Hampshire police standards and training recruitment and retention fund, administered by the police standards and training council, with an appropriation of $100,000 from the existing career development fund to support police academy cost reimbursement. The fund is designed to be nonlapsing and continually appropriated, providing ongoing support for recruitment and retention efforts in the public safety sector. The bill anticipates an increase in revenue for the Community College System of New Hampshire, potentially up to $100,000 annually, due to the expansion of eligible courses, while also appropriating $125,000 in general funds for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, to support various public safety roles. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 188-F:70, 188-F:72, 6:12
As Amended by the Senate: 188-F:70, 188-F:72, 6:12