State Police Primary Mission (language only)

Item 490 #1h

Language
Page 430, after line 17, insert:
"A.  The Department of State Police shall defer the implementation of the division of drug law enforcement established pursuant to Chapter 600 of the 2000 Acts of Assembly, and shall redirect all resources heretofore provided by the General Assembly for the division of drug law enforcement to the basic functions of the State Police as defined in §52-4, Code of Virginia, until such times as additional funds are provided by the General Assembly for the division of drug law enforcement.  Nothing in this item shall be construed so as to prohibit the Department of State Police from performing drug law enforcement or investigation as otherwise provided for by the Code of Virginia.
B.  The Department of State Police shall restore the policy for the payment of overtime for State Police personnel as it was prior to November 1, 2000.  The Department shall not change the overtime compensation policy in effect prior to this date for any of its eligible personnel without first notifying in writing the Chairmen of the House Appropriations and Senate Finance Committees."

Explanation
(This amendment redirects funds that were provided by the 2000 Session to implement a drug law investigation division back to the primary mission of highway law enforcement and patrol. This action is intended to ensure that the Department of State Police has adequate resources to perform its basic function in light of budget reductions proposed in House Bill 1600, as introduced, by deferring the implementation of this new division until such time as additional funding is available to staff the division. This amendment further requires that the Department restore its overtime payment policy as it was prior to implementing a productivity savings that lengthened the hours personnel work before being eligible for overtime.)