SB 29, 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 require field training officers who are instructors for the field training program to have 40 hours ofbegin insert promising orend insert
evidence-based behavioral health training, as specified. The bill would also require POST to requirebegin delete a 20-hour evidence-based behavioral health training courseend deletebegin insert as part of its field training program 20 hours of field trainingend insert relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability, to be completed as specified.
Bybegin insert requiring local law enforcement field training officers to have 40 additional hours of training andend insert 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 13515.28 is added to the Penal Code, to
2read:
(a) (1) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
4and Training shall require the field training officers who provide
5instruction in the field training program to have 40 hours of
6begin insert promising orend insert evidence-based behavioral health training to
7deescalate a situation where an officer is interacting with persons
8with mental illness or intellectual disability.
9(2) If an officer has completed 40 hours ofbegin insert promising orend insert
10 evidence-basedbegin delete behavorialend deletebegin insert
behavioralend insert health training, the
11requirement described in paragraph (1) shall not apply. Instead,
12the officer is strongly encouraged to take a four-hourbegin delete behavorialend delete
13begin insert behavioralend insert health refresher course.
14(b) Thisbegin insert promising orend insert evidence-based behavioral health training
15course shall address issues relating to stigma, shall be culturally
16relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the following
17topics:
18(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
19disabilities.
20(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
21disability, 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.
Section 13515.29 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
begin delete(a)end deletebegin delete end deleteThe Commission on Peace Officer Standards
18and Training shall requirebegin delete a 20-hour evidence-based behavioral begin insert as part of its field training program 20 hours
19health training courseend delete
20of field trainingend insert relating to law enforcement interaction with
21persons with mental illness or intellectual disability to be completed
22during the employing department’s field training and probationary
23begin delete period, but in no case later than 24 months after the employee’s begin insert
period.end insert
24appointment as an officer.end delete
25(b) This evidence-based behavioral health training course shall
26
build on the regular basic course training requirements addressing
27issues relating to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
28appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
29(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
30disabilities.
31(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
32disability, and substance use disorders.
33(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
34disability, and substance use disorders.
35(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
36involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
37substance use
disorders.
38(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
39potentially dangerous situations.
P4 1(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
2emotionally distressed persons.
3(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
4with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
5resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
6(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
7experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
8and substance use disorders.
9(c) The performance of trainees in the field training program
10shall be
demonstrated by successful resolution of a critical incident
11scenario, including contact with an individual experiencing a crisis.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
13this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
14local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
15pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
164 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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