Amended in Assembly July 8, 2015

Amended in Senate June 1, 2015

Amended in Senate April 15, 2015

Amended in Senate March 23, 2015

Amended in Senate February 26, 2015

Senate Bill No. 11

Introduced by Senators Beall and Mitchell

(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Galgiani, Hancock, Hertzberg, Leno, Liu, Monning, and Stone)

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Frazier, begin insert Cristina Garcia, end insert Low, and Maienschein)

December 1, 2014

An act to add Sections 13515.26 and 13515.27 to the Penal Code, relating to peace officer training standards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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 begin delete include end delete begin insert review the training module relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse disorder end insert in its basic training begin delete course a promising or evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training, to train end delete begin insert course, and develop additional training to better prepare end insert law enforcement officers to recognize, begin delete deescalate, and refer end delete begin insert deescalate, and appropriately respond to end insert persons with mental begin delete illness or end delete begin insert illness, end insert intellectual begin delete disability who are in crisis. end delete begin insert disability, or substance use disorders. end insert The bill would require that this begin delete promising or evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and instructor-led active learning take place in the academy, be 20 hours long, end delete begin insert training be at least 15 hours, address issues relating to stigma, be culturally relevant and appropriate, include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities, end insert and be begin delete in addition to end delete begin insert included in end insert the current hour requirement begin delete leading to the basic certificate issued by POST. end delete begin insert of the regular basic course. end insert

The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated begin delete a promising or evidence-based behavioral health end delete begin insert a classroom-based end insert continuing training course begin delete that is equivalent in importance to the perishable skills training provided by POST. end delete begin insert that includes instructor-led active learning relating to behavioral health and law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders. end insert The bill would require that this begin delete promising or evidence-based behavioral health end delete continuing training course be begin delete 4 end delete begin insert at least 3 end insert 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.

begin insert

This bill would require implementation of the training module and continuing training course no later than August 1, 2016.

end insert

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:

begin delete

SECTION 1.  

Section 13515.26 is added to the Penal Code, to
read:

13515.26.  

(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training shall establish and keep updated a promising or
evidence-based behavioral health classroom training course and
instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,
relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental
illness as part of its basic training course for law enforcement
officers. This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
classroom training course and instructor-led active learning shall
train officers to recognize, deescalate, and refer persons with mental
illness or intellectual disability who are in crisis.

(b) This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
classroom training course and instructor-led active learning shall
address issues relating to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:

(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
disabilities.

(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.

(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.

(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
substance use disorders.

(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.

(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
emotionally distressed persons.

(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.

(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
and substance use disorders.

(c) This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
classroom training course and instructor-led active learning which
will take place in the academy shall be 20 hours long and shall be
in addition to the current hour requirement leading to the basic
certificate issued by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training.

end delete

begin insert

begin insert SECTION 1. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 13515.26 is added to the end insert begin insert Penal Code end insert begin insert , to
read: end insert

begin insert

begin insert 13515.26. end insert   

(a) The commission shall review the training module
in the regular basic course relating to persons with a mental
illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorder, and
analyze existing training curricula in order to identify areas where
additional training is needed to better prepare law enforcement
to effectively address incidents involving mentally disabled persons.

(b) Upon identifying what additional training is needed, the
commission shall update the training in consultation with
appropriate community, local, and state organizations, and
agencies that have expertise in the area of mental illness,
intellectual disability, and substance use disorders, and with
appropriate consumer and family advocate groups.

(c) The training shall address issues related to stigma, shall be
culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the
following topics:

(1) Recognizing indicators of mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.

(2) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.

(3) Use of force options and alternatives.

(4) The perspective of individuals or families who have
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
and substance use disorders.

(5) Mental health resources available to the first responders to
events that involve mentally disabled persons.

(d) The course of instruction shall be at least 15 hours, and
shall include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities
relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental
illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.

(e) The course shall be presented within the existing hours
allotted for the regular basic course.

(f) The commission shall implement this section on or before
August 1, 2016.

end insert

SEC. 2.  

Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

13515.27.  

(a) The begin delete Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training end delete begin insert commission end insert shall establish and keep updated a
begin delete promising or evidence-based behavioral health end delete begin insert classroom-based end insert
continuing training course begin insert that includes instructor-led active
learning, such as scenario-based training, end insert relating to begin insert behavioral
health and end insert law enforcement interaction with persons with mental begin delete illness that is equivalent in its importance to the perishable skills
training provided by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training. end delete begin insert illness, intellectual disability, and substance use
disorders. end insert

(b) This course shall be begin delete four consecutive hours and end delete begin insert at least three
consecutive hours, may include training scenarios and facilitated
learning activities, shall end insert address issues related to stigma, shall be
culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the
following topics:

(1) The cause and nature of mental illness, intellectual disability,
and substance use disorders.

begin delete

(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.

end delete begin delete

(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.

end delete begin delete

(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
substance use disorders.

end delete begin insert

(2) Indicators of mental illness, intellectual disability, and
substance use disorders.

end insert begin insert

(3) Appropriate responses to a variety of situations involving
persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance
use disorders.

end insert begin delete

(3)

end delete

begin insert (4) end insert  Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.

begin delete

(4)

end delete

begin insert (5) end insert  Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
emotionally distressed persons.

begin delete

(5) Community and state resources

end delete

begin insert (6) end insert begin insert   end insert begin insert Resources end insert available to serve persons with mental illness or
intellectual begin delete disability, and how these resources can be best utilized
by law enforcement. end delete begin insert disability. end insert

begin delete

(6)

end delete

begin insert (7) end insert  The perspective of individuals begin delete and families with lived end delete begin insert or
families who have end insert experiences with persons with mental illness,
intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.

(c) 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 shall complete the course
described in subdivisions (a) and (b) every four years.

begin insert

(d) The commission shall implement this section on or before
August 1, 2016.

end insert

SEC. 3.  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.