HB 527 -- COMPENSATORY TIME FOR THE HIGHWAY PATROL SPONSOR: Luetkenhaus COMMITTEE ACTION: Voted "do pass" by the Committee on Labor by a vote of 14 to 0. This bill requires the state to either pay at a member's regular rate or grant compensatory time off to any member of the Highway Patrol who works more than 160 hours in a 28-day period. The member must indicate which method of compensation is preferred before the end of the 28th day of the pay period immediately after the compensatory time was worked. FISCAL NOTE: Cost to General Revenue of $0 to $504,143 in FY 2002, $0 to $620,095 in FY 2003, and $0 to $635,598 in FY 2004. Cost to Gaming Fund of $0 to $468,806 in FY 2002, $0 to $576,631 in FY 2003, and $0 to $591,047 in FY 2004. Cost to Highway Funds of $0 to $3,607,214 in FY 2002, $0 to $4,436,872 in FY 2003, and $0 to $4,547,794 in FY 2004. PROPONENTS: Supporters say that the current system for the Highway Patrol prevents additional patrolmen from being on the road. By allowing patrolmen to receive pay in lieu of compensatory time, patrolmen could stay on the job longer, and the Highway Patrol would have greater flexibility in scheduling patrolmen and in responding to emergencies. Testifying for the bill were Representative Luetkenhaus; and Missouri State Troopers Association. OPPONENTS: There was no opposition voiced to the committee. Greg Linhares, Legislative AnalystCopyright (c) Missouri House of Representatives