Amended in Assembly August 28, 2015

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, 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 review the training module relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance abuse disorder in its basic training course, and develop additional training to better prepare law enforcement officers to recognize, deescalate, and appropriately respond to persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders. The bill would require that this 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 included in the current hour requirement of the regular basic course.

The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a classroom-based continuing training course 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 continuing training course be at least 3 consecutive hours. The bill would require begin insert this course be made available to end insert 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 begin delete duties to complete this course every 4 years. end delete begin insert duties. end insert

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

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By imposing additional training costs on local law enforcement agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

end delete begin delete

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.

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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.

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Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program:  begin delete yes end delete begin insert no end insert .

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 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 shall establish and keep updated
a 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, intellectual disability, and substance
use disorders.

(b) This course shall be 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) 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.

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

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

(6) Resources available to serve persons with mental illness or
intellectual disability.

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

(c)  begin delete Each end delete begin insert The course described in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall
be made available by the commission to each end insert 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
begin delete duties shall complete the course described in subdivisions (a) and
(b) every four years. end delete begin insert duties. end insert

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

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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.

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