BILL NUMBER: SB 11 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
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
INTRODUCED BY Senators Beall and Mitchell
(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Galgiani, Hancock, Hertzberg, Leno,
Liu, Monning, and Stone)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Frazier, Cristina
Garcia, 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 include
review the training module relating to persons with a mental
illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse disorder
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 course, and develop additional training to
better prepare law enforcement officers to recognize,
deescalate, and refer deescalate, and appropriately
respond to persons with mental illness or
illness, intellectual disability who are in
crisis. disability, or substance use disorders.
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, be 20 hours long,
training be at least 15 hours, address issues relating
to stigma, be culturally relevant and appropriate, include training
scenarios and facilitated learning activities, and be
in addition to included in the current hour
requirement leading to the basic certificate issued by POST.
of the regular basic course.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated
a promising or evidence-based behavioral health
a classroom-based continuing training course that
is equivalent in importance to the perishable skills training
provided by POST. 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. The bill would
require that this promising or evidence-based behavioral
health continuing training course be 4
at least 3 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.
This bill would require implementation of the training module and
continuing training course no later than August 1, 2016.
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 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.
SECTION 1. Section 13515.26 is added to the
Penal Code , to read:
13515.26. (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.
SEC. 2. Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
13515.27. (a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
and Training commission shall establish and keep
updated a promising or evidence-based behavioral health
classroom-based continuing training course
that includes instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based
training, relating to behavioral health and law
enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness
that is equivalent in its importance to the perishable skills
training provided by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
Training. illness, intellectual disability
, and substance use disorders.
(b) This course shall be four consecutive hours and
at least three consecutive hours, may include training
scenarios and facilitated learning activities, shall 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.
(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.
(2) Indicators of mental illness, intellectual disability, and
substance use disorders.
(3) Appropriate responses to a variety of situations involving
persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance
use disorders.
(3)
(4) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.
(4)
(5) Appropriate language usage when interacting with
potentially emotionally distressed persons.
(5) Community and state resources
(6) Resources available to serve
persons with mental illness or intellectual disability, and
how these resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
disability.
(6)
(7) The perspective of individuals and
families with lived or families who have
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.
(d) The commission shall implement this section on or before
August 1, 2016.
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.