Amended in Assembly July 8, 2015

Amended in Senate June 2, 2015

Amended in Senate April 15, 2015

Amended in Senate March 23, 2015

Amended in Senate February 26, 2015

Senate BillNo. 29


Introduced by Senator Beall

(Principal coauthor: Senator Mitchell)

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

(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Frazier, Low, and Maienschein)

December 1, 2014


An act to add Sectionsbegin delete 13515.28 and 13515.29end deletebegin insert 13515.28, 13515.29, and 13515.295end insert to the Penal Code, relating to peace officer training standards.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

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 20 hours of promising or evidence-based behavioral health training,end deletebegin insert at least 8 hours of crisis intervention training related to behavioral health,end insert as specified. The bill would also require POST to require as part of itsbegin delete field training program 20 hours of field training relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability,end deletebegin insert existing field training officer course, at least 4 hours of training relating to competencies of the field training program and police training program that addresses how to interact with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability,end insert to be completed as specified.

By requiring local law enforcement field training officers to havebegin delete 20end deletebegin insert at least 8end 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:

P2    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 13515.28 is added to the Penal Code, to
2read:

3

13515.28.  

(a) (1) Thebegin delete Commission on Peace Officer Standards
4and Trainingend delete
begin insert commissionend insert shall require the field training officers
5who provide instruction in the field training program to havebegin delete 20
6hours of promising or evidence-based behavioral health trainingend delete

7begin insert at least eight hours of crisis intervention classroom training and
8instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,
9relating to behavioral healthend insert
tobegin delete deescalate a situation where an
10officer is interactingend delete
begin insert better train new peace officers how to
11effectively interactend insert
with persons with mental illness or intellectual
P3    1disability.begin insert This course shall be taught in segments that are at least
2four hours long.end insert

3(2) Ifbegin delete anend deletebegin insert a field trainingend insert officer has completedbegin delete 20end deletebegin insert eightend insert hours
4ofbegin delete promising or evidence-basedend deletebegin insert crisis interventionend insert behavioral
5health training, the requirement described in paragraph (1) shall
6notbegin delete apply. Instead, the officer is strongly encouraged to take a
7four-hour behavioral health refresher course.end delete
begin insert apply if the field
8training officer has already completed such a crisis intervention
9behavioral health training course within the past 24 months.end insert

10(b) Thisbegin delete promising or evidence-based behavioral health end deletebegin insert crisis
11intervention end insert
training course shall address issues relating to stigma,
12shall be culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all
13of the following topics:

14(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and intellectual
15disabilities.

16(2) (A) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
17disability, and substance use disorders.

18(B) How to distinguish between mental illness, intellectual
19disability, and substance use disorders.

20(C) How to respond appropriately in a variety of situations
21involving persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and
22substance use disorders.

23(3) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
24potentially dangerous situations.

25(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
26emotionally distressed persons.

27(5) Community and state resources available to serve persons
28with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
29resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.

30(6) The perspective of individualsbegin delete andend deletebegin insert orend insert familiesbegin delete with livedend delete
31begin insert who haveend insert experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual
32disability, and substance use disorders.

begin insert

33(c) Field training officers assigned or appointed before January
341, 2017, shall complete the crisis intervention course by June 30,
352017. Field training officers assigned or appointed on or after
36January 1, 2017, shall complete the crisis intervention course
37within 180 days of assignment or appointment.

end insert
begin insert

38(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an
39agency from requiring its field training officers to complete a crisis
P4    1intervention course with additional hours or earlier than as
2required by this section.

end insert
begin delete
3

SEC. 2.  

Section 13515.29 is added to the Penal Code, to read:

4

13515.29.  

The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and
5Training shall require as part of its existing field training program
620 hours of field training relating to law enforcement interaction
7with persons with mental illness or intellectual disability to be
8completed during the employing department’s field training and
9probationary period.

end delete
10begin insert

begin insertSEC. 2.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 13515.29 is added to the end insertbegin insertPenal Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert
11

begin insert13515.29.end insert  

(a) The commission shall establish and keep updated
12a field training officer course relating to competencies of the field
13training program and police training program that addresses how
14to interact with persons with mental illness or intellectual
15disability.

16(b) This course shall consist of at least four hours of classroom
17instruction and instructor-led active learning, such as
18scenario-based training, shall address issues related to stigma,
19and shall be culturally relevant and appropriate.

20(c) All prospective field training officers shall complete the
21course described in subdivisions (a) and (b) as part of the existing
22field training officer program.

23(d) The commission shall implement the provisions of this
24section on or before August 1, 2016.

end insert
25begin insert

begin insertSEC. 3.end insert  

end insert

begin insertSection 13515.295 is added to the end insertbegin insertPenal Codeend insertbegin insert, to read:end insert

begin insert
26

begin insert13515.295.end insert  

(a) The commission shall, by May 1, 2016, conduct
27a review and evaluation of the required competencies of the field
28training program and police training program to identify areas
29where additional training is necessary to better prepare law
30enforcement officers to effectively address incidents involving
31persons with a mental illness or intellectual disability.

32(b) Upon identifying what additional training is needed, the
33commission shall update the training in consultation with
34appropriate community, local, and state organizations, and
35agencies that have expertise in the area of mental illness,
36intellectual disabilities, and substance abuse disorders, and with
37appropriate consumer and family advocate groups.

38(c) The training shall address issues related to stigma, shall be
39culturally relevant and appropriate, and shall include all of the
40following topics:

P5    1(1) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
2disability, substance use disorders, neurological disorders,
3traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and
4dementia.

5(2) Autism spectrum disorder.

6(3) Down syndrome.

7(4) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
8potentially dangerous situations.

9(5) Alternatives to the use of force when interacting with
10potentially dangerous persons with mental illness or intellectual
11disabilities.

12(6) The perspective of individuals or families who have
13experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual disability,
14and substance use disorders.

15(7) Involuntary holds.

16(8) Community and state resources available to serve persons
17with mental illness or intellectual disability, and how these
18resources can be best utilized by law enforcement.

end insert
19

begin deleteSEC. 3.end delete
20begin insertSEC. 4.end insert  

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that
21this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to
22local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made
23pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division
244 of Title 2 of the Government Code.



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