Relating to the creation of a grant program to assist local law enforcement agencies in solving violent and sexual offenses.

Contracts

• RMS Vendors: Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) must review Master Services Agreements (MSAs) with Record Management System providers. If current software cannot segment "Clearance by Arrest" from "Clearance by Exception," contract addendums for immediate upgrades are required.
• Forensic Labs: Outsourced forensic contracts should be renegotiated to include Service Level Agreements (SLAs) regarding processing times, as "duration between offense and clearance" is now a reportable metric.
• Employment Agreements: Offer letters for personnel hired via this grant must explicitly state that employment is coterminous with grant funding to mitigate wrongful termination liability if the grant is not renewed.

Hiring/Training

• Investigative Staff: Detectives must be retrained on the statutory definition of "Clearance by Exception" (Section 1(a)(2)). Misclassification of these cases is a primary audit risk.
• Finance Officers: Staff must be trained on strict fund segregation. Grant funds cannot be commingled with the general fund.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

• New Metrics: Systems must automatically track and report:
• 1. Clearance rates separated by "Arrest" vs. "Exception."
• 2. Average number of days from Offense Date to Clearance Date.
• 3. Percentage of funds allocated to personnel, technology, and records management.
• Annual Performance Report: Grant recipients must file a detailed performance report annually with the CJD.

Fees & Costs

• Anti-Supplanting Rule: Municipalities cannot reduce the local funds provided to an LEA because of this grant. This prevents using the grant to balance municipal budget deficits.
• Administrative Overhead: While the grant covers operational costs, the administrative burden of the new reporting requirements must be absorbed by the agency.