BILL ANALYSIS Ó ----------------------------------------------------------------- |SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 979| |Office of Senate Floor Analyses | | |1020 N Street, Suite 524 | | |(916) 651-1520 Fax: (916) | | |327-4478 | | ----------------------------------------------------------------- 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 CONTINUED AB 979 Page 2 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 CONTINUED AB 979 Page 3 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. CONTINUED AB 979 Page 4 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 **** END **** CONTINUED