MDCH TO MDOC TRANSFER CERT. H.B. 6085: COMMITTEE SUMMARY
House Bill 6085 (as passed by the House)
Sponsor: Representative Gary A. Newell
House Committee: Government Operations
Senate Committee: Local, Urban and State Affairs
Date Completed: 10-5-04
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Correctional Officers Training Act to specify that some forensic security aides employed by the Department of Community Health who were transferred to positions as State correctional officers would have to be automatically certified by the Department of Corrections (DOC) if they satisfied certain requirements.
Specifically, an individual employed by the Department of Community Health as a forensic security aide at either the Huron Valley Center or the Center for Forensic Psychiatry who was transferred to a position as a State correctional officer employed by the DOC would have to be automatically certified and recertified by the Department for three years after the date he or she became employed as a correctional officer, if the person met all of the requirements established by law or the DOC for employment as a State correctional officer and did all of the following:
-- Within 30 days after the bill's effective date, declared his or her intent to accept the transfer to a position as a State correctional officer.
-- Within one year of the date he or she became employed as a State correctional officer, obtained a high school diploma or attained a passing score on the general education development (GED) test indicating a high school graduation level.
-- Within one year of the date he or she became employed as a State correctional officer, completed successfully 320 hours of new employee training with a credit of up to 160 hours of previously acquired training, as approved by the Correctional Officers' Training Council.
-- Fulfilled other minimum standards and requirements, except for physical fitness requirements, developed by the Council pursuant to Section 13 of the Act (which sets minimum standards for officer training) and approved by the Department for certification and, subsequently, for recertification.
Under the Act, a person generally may not be certified as a State correctional officer unless he or she already has obtained a high school diploma or passed the GED test; successfully completed a vocational certificate program or equivalent course work, with a minimum number of credit hours, or a postsecondary degree in a related discipline; and satisfied internship and new employee training requirements. The bill would create an exception to these criteria, as described above.
MCL 791.512 Legislative Analyst: J.P. Finet
FISCAL IMPACT
According to the Department of Corrections, up to 250 forensic security aides would be eligible to become corrections officers under the bill. Because the pay ranges for the positions are the same and because the employees simply would be transferred from one department to the other, there should be no fiscal impact on the State.
Fiscal Analyst: Bethany Wicksall
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. hb6085/0304