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House passes change to public-safety salary surveys after heated debate over benefits
Summary
Lawmakers adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 40 to require DHRM surveys to consider total compensation (salary and benefits) rather than salary alone after extended floor debate and a division vote; the bill then passed and will return to the Senate.
After extensive floor debate, the House on Feb. 12 adopted an amendment to Senate Bill 40 and approved the measure as amended. SB 40 concerns how the state conducts salary surveys for three public-safety groups—law enforcement officers, correctional officers and public safety dispatchers—proposing to standardize surveys so the state can better recruit and retain qualified personnel.
Originally the sponsor described the bill as limiting comparative surveys to salary alone for these three groups—arguing benefits are difficult to compare across jurisdictions and that early-career recruitment is driven primarily by salary. Representatives including Curtis, Dee and others argued that excluding benefits would give an incomplete picture of total compensation and undermine good policy decisions; several members testified that benefits (retirement, medical, dental, vision) materially affect recruitment and retention.
The House debated and then adopted a floor amendment to replace the phrase "salary ranges" with "total compensation," which opponents warned would effectively change the bill’s intent. A division vote was held during the amendment; the amendment carried. The House then voted to pass SB 40. The transcript records the bill passed with "yes votes and 6 no votes" but the exact yes tally is not specified in the floor record provided. The bill will be referred back to the Senate.
Next steps: The Senate will receive the amended measure for concurrence or further action.
