BILL NUMBER: SB 29 AMENDED
BILL TEXT
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
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 Sections 13515.28 and 13515.29
13515.28, 13515.29, and 13515.295 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 have
20 hours of promising or evidence-based behavioral health training,
at least 8 hours of crisis intervention training
related to behavioral health, 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, existing field training officer course, at
least 4 hours of training relating to competencies of the field
training program and police training program that addre
sses how to interact with persons with mental illness or intellectual
disability, to be completed as specified.
By requiring local law enforcement field training officers to have
20 at least 8 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 1. Section 13515.28 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
13515.28. (a) (1) The Commission on Peace Officer
Standards and Training commission shall require
the field training officers who provide instruction in the field
training program to have 20 hours of promising or
evidence-based behavioral health training at least
eight hours of crisis intervention classroom training and
instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,
relating to behavioral health to deescalate a
situation where an officer is interacting better train
new peace officers how to effectively interact with persons
with mental illness or intellectual disability. This course
shall be taught in segments that are at least four hours long.
(2) If an a field training officer
has completed 20 eight hours of
promising or evidence-based crisis
intervention behavioral health training, the requirement
described in paragraph (1) shall not apply. Instead, the
officer is strongly encouraged to take a four-hour behavioral health
refresher course. apply if the field training officer
has already completed such a crisis intervention behavioral health
training course within the past 24 months.
(b) This promising or evidence-based behavioral health
crisis intervention training course 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 or
families with lived who have
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(c) Field training officers assigned or appointed before January
1, 2017, shall complete the crisis intervention course by June 30,
2017. Field training officers assigned or appointed on or after
January 1, 2017, shall complete the crisis intervention course within
180 days of assignment or appointment.
(d) Nothing in this section shall be construed to prevent an
agency from requiring its field training officers to complete a
crisis intervention course with additional hours or earlier than as
required by this section.
SEC. 2. Section 13515.29 is added to the Penal
Code, to read:
13515.29. The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
shall require as part of its existing field training program 20 hours
of field training relating to law enforcement interaction with
persons with mental illness or intellectual disability to be
completed during the employing department's field training and
probationary period.
SEC. 2. Section 13515.29 is added to the
Penal Code , to read:
13515.29. (a) The commission shall establish and keep updated a
field training officer course 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.
(b) This course shall consist of at least four hours of classroom
instruction and instructor-led active learning, such as
scenario-based training, shall address issues related to stigma, and
shall be culturally relevant and appropriate.
(c) All prospective field training officers shall complete the
course described in subdivisions (a) and (b) as part of the existing
field training officer program.
(d) The commission shall implement the provisions of this section
on or before August 1, 2016.
SEC. 3. Section 13515.295 is added to the
Penal Code , to read:
13515.295. (a) The commission shall, by May 1, 2016, conduct a
review and evaluation of the required competencies of the field
training program and police training program to identify areas where
additional training is necessary to better prepare law enforcement
officers to effectively address incidents involving persons with a
mental illness or intellectual disability.
(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 disabilities,
and substance abuse 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) How to identify indicators of mental illness, intellectual
disability, substance use disorders, neurological disorders,
traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress disorder, and dementia.
(2) Autism spectrum disorder.
(3) Down syndrome.
(4) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.
(5) Alternatives to the use of force when interacting with
potentially dangerous persons with mental illness or intellectual
disabilities.
(6) The perspective of individuals or families who have
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(7) Involuntary holds.
(8) 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.
SEC. 3. SEC. 4. 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.