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 havebegin delete 40end deletebegin insert
20end insert hours of promising or evidence-based behavioral health training, as specified. The bill would also require POST to require as part of its field training program 20 hours of field training relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability, to be completed as specified.
By requiring local law enforcement field training officers to havebegin delete 40end deletebegin insert 20end insert additional hours of training and 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 havebegin delete 40end deletebegin insert 20end insert hours of
6promising or 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 completedbegin delete 40end deletebegin insert
20end insert hours of promising or
10evidence-based behavioral health training, the requirement
11described in paragraph (1) shall not apply. Instead, the officer is
12strongly encouraged to take a four-hour behavioral health refresher
13course.
14(b) This promising or 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.
P3 1(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
2disability, and substance use disorders.
3(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
4disability, and substance use disorders.
5(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
6involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
7substance use disorders.
8(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
9potentially dangerous situations.
10(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
11emotionally distressed persons.
12(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
13with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
14resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.
15(6) The perspective of individuals and families with lived
16experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
17and substance use disorders.
Section 13515.29 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
20Training shall require as part of itsbegin insert existingend insert field training program
2120 hours of field training relating to law enforcement interaction
22with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability to be
23completed during the employing department’s field training and
24probationary
period.
If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
26this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
27local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
28pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
294 of Title 2 of the Government Code.
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