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 a promising or evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training, 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 promising or evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and instructor-led active learning take place in the academy, bebegin delete at leastend delete 20 hours long, and be in addition to the current hour requirement leading to the basic certificate issued by POST.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a promising or evidence-based behavioral health continuing training course that is equivalent in importance to the perishable skills training provided by POST. The bill would require that this promising or evidence-based behavioral health continuing training course bebegin delete a minimum ofend delete 4 consecutive hours. The bill would require each law enforcement officer with
a rank of supervisor or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise officers who are assigned to patrol duties to complete this course every 4 years.
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 a promising or
5evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and
6instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,
7relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental
8illness as part of its basic training course for law enforcement
9officers. This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
10classroom training course and instructor-led active learning shall
P3 1train officers to recognize, deescalate, and refer persons with mental
2illness or intellectual disability who are in crisis.
3(b) This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
4classroom
training course and instructor-led active learning shall
5address issues relating to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
6appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
7(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
8disabilities.
9(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
10disability, and substance use disorders.
11(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
12disability, and substance use disorders.
13(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
14involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
15substance use disorders.
16(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
17potentially dangerous situations.
18(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
19emotionally distressed persons.
20(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
21with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
22resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
23(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
24experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
25and substance use disorders.
26(c) This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
27classroom training course and
instructor-led active learning which
28will take place in the academy shall bebegin delete at leastend delete 20 hours long and
29shall be in addition to the current hour requirement leading to the
30basic certificate issued by the Commission on Peace Officer
31Standards and Training.
Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
34and Training shall establish and keep updated a promising or
35evidence-based behavioral health continuing training course
36relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental
37illness
that is equivalent in its importance to the perishable skills
38training provided by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards
39and Training.
P4 1(b) This course shall
bebegin delete at leastend delete four consecutive hours and
2address issues related to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
3appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
4(1) The cause and nature of mental illness, intellectual disability,
5and substance use disorders.
6(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
7disability, and substance use disorders.
8(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
9disability, and substance use disorders.
10(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
11involving persons with
mental illness, intellectual disability, and
12substance use disorders.
13(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
14potentially dangerous situations.
15(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
16emotionally distressed persons.
17(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
18with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
19resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
20(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
21experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
22and substance use disorders.
23(c) Each law
enforcement officer with a rank of supervisor or
24below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise officers
25who are assigned to patrol duties shall complete the course
26described in subdivisions (a) and (b) every four years.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
28this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
29local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
30pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
314 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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