Bill > H2973

This bill establishes a language proficiency pay program for full-time police officers in cities and towns across Massachusetts, designed to provide financial compensation to officers who speak languages in addition to English that are spoken in their local communities. The program allows police departments to offer stipends, salary increases, or other monetary incentives to bilingual officers, with the amount and eligibility determined by the local police chief. To qualify, officers must demonstrate language proficiency, which can be measured by achieving the minimum score on the World Language Assessment Instrument used for the Massachusetts State Seal of Biliteracy or a comparable metric. Importantly, if a city or town chooses to implement this program and provides career incentive salary increases to bilingual police officers, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts will reimburse half the cost of these payments. The Municipal Police Training Committee will be responsible for certifying reimbursements and establishing quality guidelines, including standards and review processes for the program. This legislation aims to recognize and reward police officers who can effectively communicate with diverse communities, potentially improving community relations and police service.

Labor and Employment

https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/H2973