06 LC
35 0142
Senate
Bill 581
By:
Senators Mullis of the 53rd, Tolleson of the 20th, Carter of the 13th, Thomas of
the 54th, Hamrick of the 30th and others
AS
PASSED SENATE
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Chapter 5 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center, so as to authorize the training
center to provide training for emergency medical personnel; to change certain
provisions relating to the Georgia Public Safety Training Center; to provide for
related matters; to provide an effective date; to repeal conflicting laws; and
for other purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Chapter
5 of Title 35 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Georgia
Public Safety Training Center, is amended by striking Code Section 35-5-2,
relating to the
board́s
authority to establish, operate, and maintain the Georgia Public Safety Training
Center, in its entirety and inserting in its place a new Code Section 35-5-2 to
read as follows:
"35-5-2.
(a)
The Board of Public Safety is authorized:
(1)
To establish, operate, and maintain the Georgia Public Safety Training Center
for the purpose of providing facilities and programs for the training of state
and local law enforcement officers, firefighters, correctional personnel,
emergency
medical personnel, and others;
and
(2)
To do all things and take any action necessary to accomplish such purpose,
including, but not limited to, the promulgation of rules and regulations
relative thereto.
(b)
The board is authorized and directed to select a site for the
center.
(c)
The board shall select the administrator of the center and establish the
compensation for the administrator.
(d)
As used in this chapter, the term 'emergency medical personnel' includes
emergency medical technicians or emergency rescue specialists who are certified
or seeking certification as emergency medical technicians, paramedics, tactical
emergency medical officers, cardiac technicians, or other medical first
responders under Chapter 11 of Title 31 and who are employed in the capacity for
which they are certified or seeking
certification."
SECTION
2.
Said
chapter is further amended by striking Code Section 35-5-5, relating to the
availability of the center for use by state and local law enforcement officers,
in its entirety and inserting a new Code Section 35-5-5 to read as
follows:
"35-5-5.
(a)
Subject to such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the board, the
facilities of the center may be made available to all state and local law
enforcement officers, firefighters,
emergency
medical personnel, and correctional
personnel and may also be made available to other persons who evidence interest
in entering the fields of law enforcement, fire fighting,
emergency
medical services, or
corrections.
(b)
The board is authorized to prescribe and collect such fees as are necessary to
defray all or a portion of the cost of furnishing such training and the use of
the facilities of the center.
(c)
The state and counties and municipalities of this state are authorized to expend
funds for the purpose of paying the fees assessed for use of the center. The
board shall have the authority to determine who shall be allowed to enroll and
participate in the training programs of the center and who shall be allowed to
utilize the facilities of the center.
(d)
Subject to such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by the board, the
Georgia Public Safety Training Center shall have the following powers and duties
in connection with the training of peace
officers,
emergency medical personnel, and law
enforcement support personnel:
(1)
To train instructors authorized to conduct training of peace
officers,
emergency medical personnel, and law
enforcement support personnel;
(2)
To reimburse or provide for certain costs incurred in training peace
officers,
emergency medical personnel, and law
enforcement support personnel employed or appointed by each agency, organ, or
department of this state, counties, and municipalities to the extent that funds
are appropriated for such purpose by the General Assembly. In the event
sufficient funds are not appropriated for a fiscal year to fund the full cost
provided for in this paragraph, then the amount which would otherwise be payable
shall be reduced pro rata on the basis of the funds actually appropriated. As
used in this paragraph, the terms 'cost' and 'costs' shall not include travel or
salaries of personnel undergoing training and shall be limited exclusively to
the cost of tuition, meals, and lodging which are incurred in connection with
such training;
(3)
To expend funds appropriated or otherwise available to the center for paying the
costs of training provided under subsection (a) of Code Section 35-8-20, other
than travel expenses and salaries of police chiefs or department heads of law
enforcement units and wardens of state institutions undergoing training, and
shall expend such funds for purposes of compensating a training officer to
administer the course of training and conduct any business associated with the
training provisions of said Code Section 35-8-20;
(4)
To expend funds appropriated or otherwise available to the center for paying the
costs of training provided for under subsection (a) of Code Section 35-8-20.1,
other than travel expenses and salaries of police chiefs or department heads of
law enforcement units undergoing training, and shall expend such funds for
purposes of compensating a training officer to administer the course of training
and conduct any business associated with the training provisions of said Code
Section 35-8-20.1;
and
(5)
To expend funds appropriated or otherwise available to the center for paying the
costs of training provided for under Chapter 11 of Title 31 for the initial
certification training and continued training as needed by emergency medical
personnel and shall expend such funds for purposes of compensating a training
officer to administer the course of training and conduct any business associated
with the training provisions of said chapter;
and
(5)(6)
To administer and coordinate the training for communications officers with
respect to the requirements of Code Section 35-8-23. The board shall be
authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to facilitate the administration
and coordination of training consistent with the provisions of said Code Section
35-8-23. The tuition costs of the training of communications officers shall be
paid from funds appropriated to the
center."
SECTION
3.
This
Act shall become effective on July 1, 2006.
SECTION
4.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.