HB 255 — PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE BUILDING PROGRAM

HOUSEAN BILLACT 255RELATING 57THTO LEGISLATURE-PUBLIC STATESAFETY; OF NEW MEXICO - SECOND SESSION, 2026 INTRODUCED BY Charlotte Little and Meredith A.

Dixon and Sarah Silva and Cathrynn N.

Brown 7 9 AN ACT RELATING TO PUBLIC SAFETY;

CREATING THE PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE CAPACITY BUILDING FUND AS A NONREVERTING FUND IN 5 THE STATE TREASURY;

REQUIRING e t 17 REPORTS;

TRANSFERRING TO THE PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE CAPACITY w l n d 18 BUILDING FUND THE REMAINING BALANCES FROM THE LAW ENFORCEMENT = = 19 a l WORKFORCE CAPACITY BUILDING FUND, THE PUBLIC ATTORNEY WORKFORCE i a e r 20 CAPACITY BUILDING FUND AND THE DETENTION AND CORRECTIONS a t m m 21 WORKFORCE CAPACITY BUILDING FUND;

REPEALING SECTIONS 9-6-17 d r e 22 THROUGH 9-6-19 NMSA 1978 (BEING LAWS 2023, CHAPTER 188, c e s k 23 SECTIONS 1 THROUGH 3);

e a n b 24 u [ BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW MEXICO:

.233268.2 SECTION 1.

[NEW MATERIAL] PUBLIC SAFETY WORKFORCE BUILDING PROGRAM--GRANTS.--PROGRAM-- GRANTS.-- A.

The "public safety workforce building program" is created in the department to provide grant funding for initiatives to increase the state's available workforce and capacity for employment of public safety professionals in law enforcement, firefighting, detention or corrections and licensed attorneys working in district attorney offices or HB 255 Page 1 public defender offices and to purchase equipment in furtherance of the program's objectives.

To receive a grant, an applicant shall apply to the department on a form and in a manner prescribed by the 5 department.

(2) a description of the initiative that e t 17 demonstrates it will meet an objective of the program;

and w l n d 18 (3) details and specifics as to the reasonable = = 19 a l expected costs and completion date of the proposed initiative.

i a e r 20 C.

The department shall determine which proposed a t m m 21 initiatives are approved to receive a grant through a d r e 22 competitive review process pursuant to rules promulgated by the c e s k 23 department.

The department may adjust the amount of money e a n b 24 requested for a proposed initiative based on its determination u [ of the reasonable costs of the initiative.

Once an initiative .233268.2 - 2 - is approved, the department shall promptly offer each applicant a grant, as appropriate.

Funds allocated to an approved initiative HB 255 Page 2 shall be spent within two years of receiving a grant, and if any unexpended balance remains at the end of the initiative period, the grantee shall immediately return that balance to the department.

The department shall deposit returned 5 amounts in the public safety workforce capacity building fund.

(a) an applicant's public safety e t 17 professional vacancy rate;

w l n d 18 (b) the cost of living and comparable = = 19 a l market compensation for an applicant's locality;

and i a e r 20 (c) the crime rates in an applicant's a t m m 21 locality;

and d r e 22 (2) prioritize consideration of applicant c e s k 23 proposals for initiatives that:

e a n b 24 (a) target the recruitment of u [ individuals who are experienced public safety professionals and .233268.2 - 3 - not currently employed by a governmental entity within the state;

and (c) increase investigative, response or case management capacity, including recruitment or retention HB 255 Page 3 of personnel or training existing personnel to serve in new public safety roles.

For the 5 purposes of this subsection, if applicants whose primary jurisdictions are within different counties apply jointly for a grant and the grant is awarded, each applicant shall receive an award amount based on the applicant's county.

(1) up to twenty-five percent of the money in e t 17 the fund at the time of the award, less administrative costs as w l n d 18 provided in Section 2 of this 2026 act, for grants awarded to = = 19 a l applicants whose primary jurisdiction is within a county with a i a e r 20 population of at least five hundred thousand according to the a t m m 21 most recent federal decennial census;

d r e 22 (2) up to thirty-five percent of the money in c e s k 23 the fund at the time of the award, less administrative costs as e a n b 24 provided in Section 2 of this 2026 act, for grants awarded to u [ applicants whose primary jurisdiction is within a county with a .233268.2 - 4 - population of at least one hundred thousand but less than five hundred thousand according to the most recent federal decennial census;

and (3) any amount of available money remaining in the fund for grants awarded to applicants whose primary HB 255 Page 4 jurisdiction is within a county with a population of less than one hundred thousand according to the most recent federal decennial census.

5 (1) provide a recruitment differential disbursement, including a disbursement for relocation expenses for a newly hired public safety professional;

(2) provide a retention differential e t 17 disbursement to a public safety professional who is already w l n d 18 employed by the grantee and who is not an elected public = = 19 a l official;

provided that the public safety professional remains i a e r 20 employed with that grantee for a period of time as provided by a t m m 21 rule of the department;

d r e 22 (3) implement professional development c e s k 23 initiatives designed to recruit, train or retain public safety e a n b 24 professionals;

u [ (4) implement campaigns to recruit in-state or .233268.2 - 5 - out-of-state public safety professionals;

HB 255 Page 5 (1) for a recurring initiative, unless the grantee first provides a plan to replace nonrecurring funds with recurring funds to fund the initiative;

or (2) to create a public safety professional 5 position or fund the base salary of an existing public safety position.

Any e t 17 unexpended balance remaining after completion of the initiative w l n d 18 shall revert to the fund within thirty days of completion.

= = 19 a l I.

By November 1 of each fiscal year, the i a e r 20 department shall provide an annual report regarding the program a t m m 21 to the legislative finance committee that includes: