Bill > S1280

This bill proposes to amend Chapter 6 of the General Laws by adding a new section that establishes a policy surcharge on private passenger automobile insurance policies issued in the commonwealth to fund police training programs. This surcharge will be paid by property and casualty insurance companies writing motor vehicle insurance and will be imposed on policyholders. The funds generated will support the Municipal Police Training Committee (MPTC) in providing annual in-service specialized and statutorily-mandated training for veteran and reserve municipal police officers, as well as for state agency officers who exercise police powers and receive training from the MPTC, such as environmental and campus police. The training programs will encompass new recruit training, distance learning, standards and evaluations for courses and instructors, curriculum development, and the hiring, equipping, and training of new state police recruits and cadets. Notably, a significant portion of the funds will be dedicated to mental health training for new recruits, including a two-day program on mental health diagnoses, symptoms, and de-escalation skills, with at least twenty-five percent of the surcharge transferred to the Department of Mental Health to support services for police responding to mental health crises, including Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training and the establishment of regional CIT Training and Technical Assistance Centers. The MPTC and the Department of Mental Health may also collaborate to develop a statewide Institute on Community Policing and Behavioral Health. The surcharge amount will be clearly stated on policy declarations, and its rate will be determined and adjusted annually by the commissioner of insurance to cover the estimated expenses outlined. Insurance companies will be required to collect and remit these surcharges quarterly, with penalties for delinquency. Any collected surcharge funds not expended within a fiscal year will be retained by the commonwealth for future use by the MPTC or the department of state police.