SB 11, as amended, Beall. Peace officer training: mental health.
Existing law requires specified categories of law enforcement officers to meet training standards pursuant to courses of training certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST). Existing law requires POST to include in its basic training course adequate instruction in the handling of persons with developmental disabilities or mental illness, or both. Existing law also requires POST to establish and keep updated a continuing education classroom training course relating to law enforcement interaction with developmentally disabled and mentally ill persons.
This bill would require POST to include in its basic training course an evidence-based behavioral health classroom training coursebegin insert and instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,end insert to train law enforcement officers to recognize, deescalate, and refer persons with mental illness or intellectual disability who are in crisis. The bill would require that this evidence-based behavioral health classroom training coursebegin insert and instructor-led active learningend insert be 20 hours long and be in addition to the basic training course’s current hour requirement.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated an evidence-based behavioral health training course as part of its perishable skills training under its continuing professional training requirement. The bill would require that this evidence-based behavioral health training course be a minimum of 4 consecutive hours of the total hours required in each 4-year period for perishable skills training.
By imposing additional training costs on local law enforcement agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to these statutory provisions.
Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: yes.
The people of the State of California do enact as follows:
Section 13515.26 is added to the Penal Code, to
2read:
(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
4and Training shall establish and keep updated an evidence-based
5behavioral health classroom training coursebegin insert and instructor-led
6active learning, such as scenario-based training,end insert relating to law
7enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness as part
8of its basic training course for law enforcement officers. This
9evidence-based behavioral health classroom training coursebegin insert and
10instructor-led active learningend insert shall train officers to recognize,
11deescalate, and refer persons with mental illness or
intellectual
12disability who are in crisis.
13(b) This evidence-based behavioral health classroom training
14coursebegin insert and instructor-led active learningend insert shall address issues
15relating to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and appropriate, and
16shall include all of the following topics:
17(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
18disabilities.
19(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
20disability, and substance use disorders.
P3 1(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
2disability, and substance
use disorders.
3(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
4involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
5substance use disorders.
6(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
7potentially dangerous situations.
8(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
9emotionally distressed persons.
10(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
11with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
12resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
13(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
14experiences
with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
15and substance use disorders.
16(c) This evidence-based behavioral health classroom training
17coursebegin insert and instructor-led active learningend insert shall be 20 hours long
18and shall be in addition to the basic training course’s current hour
19requirement.
Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
22and Training shall establish and keep updated an evidence-based
23behavioral health training course relating to law enforcement
24interaction with persons with mental illness as part of its perishable
25skills training under its continuing professional training
26requirement.
27(b) Of the total hours required in each four-year period for
28perishable skills training, a minimum of four consecutive hours
29shall be dedicated to the evidence-based behavioral health training
30course.
31(c) This evidence-based behavioral health training course shall
32address issues related
to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
33appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
34(1) The cause and nature of mental illness, intellectual disability,
35and substance use disorders.
36(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
37disability, and substance use disorders.
38(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
39disability, and substance use disorders.
P4 1(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
2involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
3substance use disorders.
4(3) Conflict resolution
and deescalation techniques for
5potentially dangerous situations.
6(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
7emotionally distressed persons.
8(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
9with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
10resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
11(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
12experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
13and substance use disorders.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
15this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
16local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
17pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
184 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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