Florida Law Enforcement Recruitment Bill Goes To DeSantis
TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) -- A proposal that includes dangling $5,000 bonuses as a tool to recruit law-enforcement officers from other states landed Thursday on Gov. Ron DeSantis' desk.
The bill states first responders employed by local governments will receive $1,000 bonuses this year. This is the second consecutive year of bonuses for first responders including police officers, sheriff's deputies, paramedics, EMTs and firefighters throughout the state.
DeSantis called the measure (HB 3) "probably the strongest law-enforcement recruiting package and support package that any state has done in modern times."
Flanked by law-enforcement officers, DeSantis appeared Thursday at Valley Smoke Restaurant in Ponte Vedra Beach to support separate budget proposals to provide the $1,000 bonuses for law-enforcement officers and other first responders.
"Our first responders work tirelessly to protect and serve our communities," said DeSantis. "While other states turned their backs on law enforcement and first responders, Florida has continued to support them. These bonuses are a well-deserved recognition to our law enforcement and first responders for all they do for Florida."
The 2022-23 budget recently passed by the Legislature includes $125 million for these bonuses but lawmakers have not formally sent the proposed budget to DeSantis.
The law-enforcement recruitment measure would direct the state Department of Economic Opportunity to develop minimum eligibility requirements for newly employed officers to get bonus payments. The bill also would set up a Florida Law Enforcement Academy Scholarship Program to cover basic-training tuition and fees for new officers.
The proposal also would make $10,000 available to law enforcement officers who adopt children through the state child-welfare system, with the benefit increasing to $25,000 for adoptions involving children with special needs.
Sheriffs, under the bill, also would see their base salaries increase by $5,000 a year. It was not immediately clear when DeSantis might sign the bill.
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