Criminal justice trust funds; source of funds; use of funds.

(1) The Department of Law Enforcement may approve, for disbursement from the Department of Law Enforcement Operating Trust Fund, those appropriated sums necessary and required by the state for grant matching, implementing, administering, evaluating, and qualifying for such federal funds. Disbursements from the trust fund for the purpose of supplanting state general revenue funds may not be made without specific legislative appropriation.

(2) There is created, within the Department of Law Enforcement, the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund for the purpose of providing for the payment of necessary and proper expenses incurred by the operation of the commission and the Criminal Justice Professionalism Program and providing commission-approved criminal justice advanced and specialized training and criminal justice training school enhancements and of establishing the provisions of s. 943.17 and developing the specific tests provided under s. 943.12(9). The program shall administer the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund and shall report the status of the fund at each regularly scheduled commission meeting.

(3) The commission shall, by rule, establish, implement, supervise, and evaluate the expenditures of the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund for approved advanced and specialized training program courses. Criminal justice training school enhancements may be authorized by the commission subject to the provisions of subsection (6). The commission may approve the training of appropriate support personnel when it can be demonstrated that these personnel directly support the criminal justice function.

(4) The commission shall authorize the establishment of regional training councils to advise and assist the commission in developing and maintaining a plan assessing regional criminal justice training needs and to act as an extension of the commission in the planning, programming, and budgeting for expenditures of the moneys in the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund.

(a) The commission may annually forward to each regional training council a list of its specific recommended priority issues or items to be funded. Each regional training council shall consider the recommendations of the commission in relation to the needs of the region and either include the recommendations in the region’s budget plan or satisfactorily justify their exclusion.

(b) Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund moneys allocated to the regions shall be distributed to each region based upon a formula approved by the commission. The distribution shall be used by each region to implement the regional plan approved by the commission.

(c) By rule, the commission may establish criteria and procedures for use by the program and regions to amend the approved plan when an emergency exists. The program shall, with the consent of the chair of the commission, initially grant, modify, or deny the requested amendment pending final approval by the commission. The commission’s plan and amendments thereto must comply with the provisions of chapter 216.

(d) A public criminal justice training school must be designated by the commission to receive and distribute the disbursements authorized under subsection (8).

(e) Commission members, regional training council members, program staff personnel, and other authorized persons who are performing duties directly related to the trust fund may be reimbursed for reasonable per diem and travel expenses as provided in s. 112.061.

(5) Training, room, or board cost may not be assessed against any officer or employing agency for any advanced and specialized training course funded from the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund and offered through a criminal justice training school certified by the commission. Such expenses shall be paid from the trust fund and are not reimbursable by the officer. Travel costs to and from the training site are the responsibility of the trainee or employing agency. Any compensation, including, but not limited to, salaries and benefits, paid to any person during the period of training shall be fixed and determined by the employing agency; and such compensation shall be paid directly to the person.

(a) The commission shall develop a policy of reciprocal payment for training officers from regions other than the region providing the training.

(b) An officer who is not employed or appointed by an employing agency of this state may attend a course funded by the trust fund, provided the officer is required to pay to the criminal justice training school all training costs incurred for her or his attendance.

(6) No trust fund money may be expended for the planning or construction of any new school or expansion of any existing school without the specific prior approval of the Legislature, designating the location and the amount to be expended for the training school.

(7) All funds deposited in the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund shall be made available to the department for implementation of training programs approved by the commission and the head of the department.

(8) The Executive Office of the Governor may approve, for disbursement from funds appropriated to the Department of Law Enforcement, Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund, those sums necessary and required for the administration of the program and implementation of the training programs approved by the commission.

(9) Up to $250,000 per annum from the Criminal Justice Standards and Training Trust Fund may be used to develop, validate, update, and maintain test or assessment instruments, including computer-based testing, relating to selection, employment, training, or evaluation of officers, instructors, or courses. Pursuant to s. 943.12(4), (5), and (8), the commission shall adopt those test or assessment instruments which are appropriate and job-related as minimum requirements.

(10) The commission, with the approval of the head of the department, either by contract or agreement, may authorize any university or community college in the state, or any other organization, to provide training for or facilities for training officers in the area of crime reduction, crime control, inmate control, or professional development.

(11) Except as provided by s. 938.15 and notwithstanding any other provision of law, no funds collected and deposited pursuant to this section shall be expended unless specifically appropriated by the Legislature.