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Bill would let counties pay reserve deputies; sheriff says it boosts school safety and event coverage
Summary
House Bill 323 would authorize county compensation for reserve deputy officers. Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter testified it would allow counties to staff schools, events and federal transports more reliably by paying qualified reserve officers rather than relying solely on volunteers.
House Bill 323, introduced by Representative Steve Fitzpatrick, would allow counties to compensate reserve deputy officers. Cascade County Sheriff Jesse Slaughter said compensated reserves would boost law-enforcement capacity for school safety, community events and duties such as hospital watches and federal inmate transports.
Slaughter said compensated reserves are already used informally through pass-through arrangements (event organizers reimburse counties), and that the bill would provide an explicit statutory mechanism. He added that reserves would be trained and equipped to the same standards as full-time deputies for the duties assigned, would receive appropriate insurance coverage while on duty, and that collective-bargaining or deputy-contract issues had been addressed through amendment language limiting pension/benefit entitlements for paid reserves.
Committee members asked about insurance, work assignments and whether counties would set compensation policies. Slaughter said counties and sheriffs would work with boards of county commissioners on pay structure and that workman's-comp and other coverage would apply. No opponents appeared in the record and the hearing closed.
