Amended in Assembly August 31, 2015

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 Bill No. 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 Sections 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 at least 8 hours of crisis intervention begin delete training related to behavioral health, end delete begin insert behavioral health training, end insert as specified. The bill would also require POST to require as part of its 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, to be completed as specified.

By requiring local law enforcement field training officers to have 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 shall require the field
training officers who provide instruction in the field training
program to have at least eight hours of crisis intervention begin delete classroom end delete
begin insert behavioral health end insert training begin delete and instructor-led active learning, such
as scenario-based training, relating to behavioral health end delete to better
train new peace officers begin insert on end insert how to effectively interact with persons
with mental illness or intellectual disability. This course shall
begin insert include classroom instruction and instructor-led active learning,
such as scenario-based training, and shall end insert be taught in segments
that are at least four hours long.

(2) If a field training officer has completed eight hours of crisis
intervention behavioral health begin delete training, end delete begin insert training within the past 24
months, or if a field training officer has completed 40 hours of
crisis intervention behavioral health training, end insert the requirement
described in paragraph (1) shall not begin delete apply if the field training
officer has already completed such a crisis intervention behavioral
health training course within the past 24 months. end delete begin insert apply. end insert

(b)  begin delete This end delete begin insert The end insert crisis intervention begin insert behavioral health end insert training begin delete course end delete
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 or families 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 begin delete course end delete begin insert behavioral
health training end insert by June 30, 2017. Field training officers assigned
or appointed on or after January 1, 2017, shall complete the crisis
intervention begin delete course end delete begin insert behavioral health training end insert within 180 days of
assignment or appointment.

(d)  begin delete Nothing in this end delete begin insert This end insert section begin delete shall be construed to end delete begin insert does not end insert
prevent an agency from requiring its field training officers to
complete begin delete a end delete begin insert additional hours of end insert crisis intervention begin delete course with
additional hours end delete begin insert behavioral health training end insert or begin insert requiring its field
training officers to complete that training end insert earlier than as required
by this section.

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)  begin delete Down end delete begin insert Genetic disorders, including, but not limited to, down end insert
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. 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.