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Senate Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
Senate of Pennsylvania
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 28, 2020 10:07 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Senator Patrick M. Browne |
| To: | All Senate members |
| Subject: | Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Account - funding increase |
| In the near future, I will introduce legislation to amend the Pennsylvania Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Board Act. This act was created in 1984 to train and certify deputy sheriffs employed by the Commonwealth’s sixty-seven county sheriffs’ offices. Since its creation, the PA Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Training Board has trained and certified over 6,000 deputy sheriffs and sheriffs. In an effort to increase the training standards for sheriffs and deputy sheriffs, the board has steadily expanded its certification training from 160 to 760 hours and now offers year-round classes leading to certification. The PA Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Board is funded through a surcharge on all legal papers served by sheriffs’ offices. The last increase in the surcharge approved was in 2000. In 2013, the PA Sheriff and Deputy Sheriff Education and Training Board’s spending exceeded its revenues for the first time since its inception. Since then, the Board has taken prudent cost saving measures and reduced or cancelled training where appropriate. The Board took further action in 2017 by suspending reimbursements to the counties for salary and travel of deputy sheriffs undertaking the required training until such time as the training fund could support both training and reimbursements. These temporary budgeting decisions succeeded in extending the timeframe so the existing fund balance was able to fund the required training of our sheriffs and deputy sheriffs. My legislation proposes a permanent funding solution by increasing the surcharges on serving legal papers over a three-year period. Please join me in cosponsoring this legislation to ensure funding to train our sheriffs and deputy sheriffs who serve and protect the residents of the Commonwealth. |
Introduced as SB1193