BILL ANALYSIS                                                                                                                                                                                                    Ó



                                                                            



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          |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE            |                        AB 979|
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                                    THIRD READING


          Bill No:  AB 979
          Author:   Weber (D)
          Amended:  5/24/13 in Assembly
          Vote:     21

           
           SENATE PUBLIC SAFETY COMMITTEE  :  7-0, 6/25/13
          AYES:  Hancock, Anderson, Block, De León, Knight, Liu, Steinberg
           
          ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  77-0, 5/30/13 - See last page for vote


            SUBJECT  :    Peace officers:  Maritime Peace Officer Standards  
                      Training Act of 2013

           SOURCE  :     Port of Los Angeles


           DIGEST  :    This bill requires peace officers who serve as crew  
          members on a waterborne law enforcement vessel to complete a  
          course in basic maritime operations for law enforcement  
          officers, as specified.

           ANALYSIS  :    

          Existing law: 

          1. Requires all peace officers to complete an introductory  
             course of training prescribed by the Committee on Peace  
             Officers Standards and Training (POST), demonstrated by  
             passage of an appropriate examination developed by POST. 

          2. Empowers POST to develop and implement programs to increase  
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             the effectiveness of law enforcement. 

          3. Authorizes POST, for the purpose of raising the level of  
             competence of local law enforcement officers, to adopt rules  
             establishing minimum standards related to physical, mental  
             and moral fitness and training that shall govern the  
             recruitment of any peace officers in California. 

          4. Requires POST to conduct research concerning job-related  
             educational standards and job-related selection standards to  
             include vision, hearing, physical ability, and emotional  
             stability and adopt standards supported by this research.

          This bill: 

          1. Requires peace officers to complete a course in basic  
             maritime operations for law enforcement officers if they meet  
             all of the following criteria: 

             A.    The officer is employed by a city, county, city and  
                county, or district that has adopted a resolution  
                implementing this bill; 

             B.    The officer falls within a classification identified by  
                the local governing body; 

             C.    The officer is assigned in a jurisdiction that includes  
                navigable waters; and, 

             D.    The officer serves as a crew member on a waterborne law  
                enforcement vessel. 

          2. Specifies that the course shall include boat handling, chart  
             reading, navigation rules, and comprehensive training  
             regarding maritime boarding, arrest procedures, vessel  
             identification, searches, and counterterrorism practices and  
             procedures, and requires that the curriculum be consistent  
             with federal standards and tactical training. 

          3. Provides that this bill shall only become operative in a  
             city, county, city and county, or district when all of the  
             following conditions apply: 

             A.    The federal Department of Homeland Security provides  

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                funding to the locality; 

             B.    The local governing body adopts a resolution agreeing  
                to implement this bill; and, 

             C.    The local governing body identifies the specific  
                classification of peace officers in their jurisdiction  
                that will be subject to the training requirements.

           FISCAL EFFECT  :    Appropriation:  No   Fiscal Com.:  No   Local:  
           No

           SUPPORT  :   (Verified  6/26/13)

          Port of Los Angeles (source)
          California Association of Harbor Masters and Port Captains
          California Association of Port Authorities
          California Marine Parks and Harbors Association
          California Yacht Brokers Association
          Marina Recreation Association
          National Maritime Manufacturers Association
          Western Boaters Safety Group

           ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT  :    According to the author:

            Maritime training has not only evolved but become a necessity  
            among law enforcement agencies whose jurisdictions may include  
            maritime areas.  For emergencies or multi-jurisdictional  
            operations, the time to set a standard that all agencies and  
            departments can share and build upon is long overdue.

            The Post commission has already approved three courses for  
            maritime peace officers that are taught at the regional  
            maritime law enforcement training center at the port of Los  
            Angeles.  These courses can be exported to any training  
            facility.  Additionally, this bill would come at no cost to  
            the state, as its provisions would apply only if federal funds  
            become available.

            California's dramatic and lengthy coastline, rivers, dams,  
            ports, harbors and the bay delta require a large and constant  
            waterborne presence of peace officers for the protection of  
            California's waterways, especially in emergency situations  
            such as natural and manmade disasters.

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            Skill sets waterborne peace officers may need include boat  
            handling, navigation, weather knowledge, boating laws,  
            maritime boarding and arrest procedures, vessel identification  
            and counterterrorism practices.

            As agencies such as the Coast Guard, sheriff's departments,  
            and police departments have enhanced their maritime presence,  
            concerns have arisen over the adequacy and consistency of  
            training.  Unlike other requirements in the Police Officers  
            Standards for Training (POST) system (sic), there are no  
            statewide standards for tactical training for state and local  
            maritime officers.

           ASSEMBLY FLOOR  :  77-0, 5/30/13
          AYES:  Achadjian, Alejo, Allen, Ammiano, Atkins, Bigelow, Bloom,  
            Blumenfield, Bocanegra, Bonilla, Bonta, Bradford, Brown,  
            Buchanan, Ian Calderon, Campos, Chau, Chávez, Chesbro, Conway,  
            Cooley, Dahle, Daly, Dickinson, Donnelly, Eggman, Fong, Fox,  
            Frazier, Beth Gaines, Garcia, Gatto, Gomez, Gonzalez, Gordon,  
            Gorell, Gray, Grove, Hagman, Hall, Harkey, Roger Hernández,  
            Jones, Jones-Sawyer, Levine, Linder, Logue, Lowenthal,  
            Maienschein, Medina, Melendez, Mitchell, Morrell, Mullin,  
            Muratsuchi, Nazarian, Nestande, Olsen, Pan, Patterson, Perea,  
            V. Manuel Pérez, Quirk, Quirk-Silva, Rendon, Salas, Skinner,  
            Stone, Ting, Wagner, Waldron, Weber, Wieckowski, Wilk,  
            Williams, Yamada, John A. Pérez
          NO VOTE RECORDED:  Holden, Mansoor, Vacancy


          JG:k  6/26/13   Senate Floor Analyses 

                           SUPPORT/OPPOSITION:  SEE ABOVE

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