BILL ANALYSIS �
AB 602
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Date of Hearing: April 10, 2013
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Mike Gatto, Chair
AB 602 (Yamada) - As Amended: April 1, 2013
Policy Committee: Public
SafetyVote:
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
Yes Reimbursable: Yes
SUMMARY
This bill requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
Training (POST) to establish, by July 1, 2015, and to keep
updated, a training course regarding law enforcement interaction
with mentally disabled or developmentally disabled persons
living in a state mental hospital or state developmental center.
This bill also creates additional requirements on mandated
reporters in state mental hospitals and state developmental
centers. Specifically, this bill:
1)Requires the training course "for law enforcement personnel
with jurisdiction over state mental health hospitals and state
developmental centers," and requires the course to be
classroom-based and interactive.
2)Requires POST to submit a report to the Legislature, by
October 1, 2017, regarding the course and its utilization.
3)Requires mandated reporters of elder or dependent adult abuse
report specified serious incidents of specified alleged abuse
or neglect in state mental hospitals or state developmental
centers to both (rather than either) local law enforcement and
designated investigators of the State Department of State
Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services,
within two hours of the mandated reporter suspecting abuse.
4)Requires local law enforcement agencies to coordinate efforts
with designated investigators of the State Department of State
Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services to
provide a response to investigate reports received.
AB 602
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FISCAL EFFECT
1)Special fund costs in the range of $100,000 to POST to create
and offer a specific and mandatory course for law enforcement
interaction with persons living in a state hospital or
developmental center. (POST already maintains and updates a
training course on interaction with mentally disabled
persons.) The proposed training would most likely be included
within the existing basic 664 hours of training provided to
peace officers.
2)Minor GF costs, likely less than $25,000, to state hospitals
and developmental centers to provide additional training to
peace officers, in most cases within the existing training
block.
3)Minor state-reimbursable local costs, likely less than
$50,000, to provide additional mandated training to peace
officers, in most cases within existing training.
The requirement that the training be classroom-based and
interactive is somewhat prescriptive in that POST offers many
courses on-line, which reduces costs such as travel, per diem
and backfilling officer posts. The committee may wish to
consider deleting this specification.
4)Minor, if any, reimbursable local agency costs for specified
coordination with state hospitals and developmental centers,
which in most cases is current practice.
COMMENTS
1)Rationale . The author and proponents contend this bill simply
adds institutional-specific and appropriate training, and
ensures prompt and uniform reporting of abusive incidents at
state hospitals and developmental centers.
2)There is no known opposition .
Analysis Prepared by : Geoff Long / APPR. / (916) 319-2081
AB 602
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