This new law enacts the working group's recommendations:
Recommendation 1
Update the VPSO statutes to provide a clear law enforcement and public safety vision and mission for the program and provide VPSO personnel clear law enforcement duties and powers.
Recommendation 2
Create more financial flexibility for the VPSO grantee organizations in the updated VPSO statutes.
Recommendation 3
Restore VPSO funding levels to Fiscal Year 2018 levels. Recommendation 4 Fund unfunded mandates.
Recommendation 5
(Related to Recommendation 4) In an updated VPSO statute, mandate that grant awards pay grantee organization their full indirect costs.
Recommendation 6
Move financial grant management to the Department of Commerce, Community, and Economic Development.
Note: This recommendation was removed from the bill in the last committee referral thanks for the vastly improved working relationship between the Department of Public Safety and the VPSO coordinators.
Recommendation 7
Maintain operational advisory, training, and experience requirement oversight at the Department of Public Safety.
Recommendation 8
In statute, create a Tribal/Grantee organization consultation process before the Department can change training and experience requirements.
Recommendation 9
Is a revision of current VPSO regulations that need to be placed in statute to operationalize the VPSO program and to facilitate the grant management move to the Department of Commerce.
