House Bill 1445 aims to establish a law enforcement officer recruitment fund within the state general fund to assist eligible law enforcement agencies facing significant vacancies in their officer positions. An "eligible law enforcement agency" is defined as one that has vacancies in 10% or more of its funded law enforcement officer positions. The bill outlines the administration of the fund by the Department of Finance and Administration's Office of Criminal Justice Programs, which will create procedures for grant applications, determine grant amounts, and set reporting requirements for accountability.

The bill specifies that grant funds must be used solely for officer recruitment purposes and allows for the acceptance of additional public or private funds to support the initiative. It also mandates that any unspent balance in the fund at the end of a fiscal year be carried forward to the next year. Importantly, the act does not appropriate funds; any expenditures must be specifically authorized by the general appropriations act. The provisions of this act are set to take effect on July 1, 2026.