Bill
S 3505
Overview: Bill Number: S 3505, Title: Establishes the Defund Municipalities that Defund the Police Act, Status: REFERRED TO FINANCE, Introduced: January 28, 2025Purpose and Intent:
Overview: Bill Number: S 3505, Title: Establishes the Defund Municipalities that Defund the Police Act, Status: REFERRED TO FINANCE, Introduced: January 28, 2025
Purpose and Intent: This bill aims to penalize municipalities that reduce funding for their police departments by withholding state aid and other financial assistance. The intent is to discourage local governments from defunding or reducing police budgets.
Key Provisions:
- Defines "defunding the police" as any reduction in a municipality's police department budget compared to the previous fiscal year.
- Requires the state to withhold 20% of a municipality's state aid and other financial assistance if the municipality is found to have defunded the police.
- Allows the state to continue withholding funds until the municipality restores police funding to the previous year's level.
- Provides exceptions for municipalities that can demonstrate a significant decrease in crime rates or other extenuating circumstances.
Affected Parties and Impacts:
- Municipalities that reduce police department budgets would face financial penalties in the form of reduced state aid and other funding.
- Residents of these municipalities may experience changes in police services and public safety resources.
- The state government would have increased oversight and control over local policing budgets.
Procedural and Timeline Considerations:
The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee for further review. If enacted, the provisions would take effect immediately and apply to the current and future fiscal years.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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