Amended in Senate April 26, 2016

Senate BillNo. 1221


Introduced by Senator Hertzberg

February 18, 2016


An act to amend Section 13515.25 of the Penal Code, relating to firefighters.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1221, as amended, Hertzberg. Firefighters: interaction with mentally disabled persons.

Existing law requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to establish a continuing education classroom training course related to law enforcement interaction with mentally disabled persons and to make the course available to law enforcement agencies in California.

This bill would authorize the commission to make the course available tobegin delete firefighters and fire departments in California.end deletebegin insert the State Fire Marshal.end insert The bill would delete an obsolete reporting requirement and make a conforming change.

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

P1    1

SECTION 1.  

Section 13515.25 of the Penal Code is amended
2to read:

3

13515.25.  

(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
4and Training shall establish and keep updated a continuing
5education classroom training course relating to law enforcement
P2    1interaction with mentally disabled persons. The training course
2shall be developed by the commission in consultation with
3appropriate community, local, and state organizations and agencies
4that have expertise in the area of mental illness and developmental
5disability, and with appropriate consumer and family advocate
6groups. In developing the course, the commission shall also
7examine existing courses certified by the commission that relate
8to mentally disabled persons. The commission shall make the
9course available to law enforcement agencies inbegin delete California, and
10may make the course available to firefighters and fire departments
11inend delete
California.

12(b) The course described in subdivision (a) shall consist of
13classroom instruction and shall utilize interactive training methods
14to ensure that the training is as realistic as possible. The course
15shall include, at a minimum, core instruction in all of the following:

16(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and developmental
17disabilities.

18(2) How to identify indicators of mental disability and how to
19respond appropriately in a variety of common situations.

20(3) Conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for
21potentially dangerous situations involving mentally disabled
22persons.

23(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with mentally
24disabled persons.

25(5) Alternatives to lethal force when interacting with potentially
26dangerous mentally disabled persons.

27(6) Community and state resources available to serve mentally
28disabled persons and how these resources can be best utilized by
29law enforcement to benefit the mentally disabled community.

30(7) The fact that a crime committed in whole or in part because
31of an actual or perceived disability of the victim is a hate crime
32punishable under Title 11.6 (commencing with Section 422.55)
33of Part 1.

begin insert

34
(c) The course described in subdivision (a) shall be shared with
35the State Fire Marshal, who may revise the course as appropriate
36to the firefighter training environment.

end insert
begin delete

37(c)

end delete

38begin insert(d)end insert The Legislature encourages law enforcement agencies to
39include the course created in this section, and any other course
P3    1certified by the commission relating to mentally disabled persons,
2as part of their advanced officer training program.

begin delete

3(d)

end delete

4begin insert(e)end insert It is the intent of the Legislature to reevaluate the extent to
5which law enforcement officers are receiving adequate training in
6how to interact with mentally disabled persons.



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