Amended in Assembly June 8, 2016

Amended in Senate April 26, 2016

Senate BillNo. 1221


Introduced by Senator Hertzberg

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(Coauthor: Senator Bates)

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(Coauthors: Assembly Members Gallagher, Cristina Garcia, and Maienschein)

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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 withbegin delete mentally disabled persons.end deletebegin insert persons with mental disabilities.end insert

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 to the State Fire Marshal. 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:

P2    1

13515.25.  

(a) The Commission on Peace Officer Standards
2and Training shall establish and keep updated a continuing
3education classroom training course relating to law enforcement
4interaction withbegin delete mentally disabled persons.end deletebegin insert persons with mental
5disabilities.end insert
The training course shall be developed by the
6commission in consultation with appropriate community, local,
7and state organizations and agencies that have expertise in the area
8of mental illness and developmental disability, and with appropriate
9consumer and family advocate groups. In developing the course,
10the commission shall also examine existing courses certified by
11the commission that relate tobegin delete mentally disabled persons.end deletebegin insert persons
12with mental disabilities.end insert
The commission shall make the course
13available to law enforcement agencies in California.

14(b) The course described in subdivision (a) shall consist of
15classroom instruction and shall utilize interactive training methods
16to ensure that the training is as realistic as possible. The course
17shall include, at a minimum, core instruction in all of the following:

18(1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and developmental
19disabilities.

20(2) How to identify indicators of mental disability and how to
21respond appropriately in a variety of common situations.

22(3) Conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for
23potentially dangerous situations involvingbegin delete mentally disabled
24persons.end delete
begin insert a person with a mental disability.end insert

25(4) Appropriate language usage when interacting withbegin delete mentally
26disabled persons.end delete
begin insert a person with a mental disability.end insert

27(5) Alternatives to lethal force when interacting with potentially
28dangerousbegin delete mentally disabled persons.end deletebegin insert persons with mental
29disabilities.end insert

30(6) Community and state resources available to servebegin delete mentally
31disabledend delete
personsbegin insert with mental disabilitiesend insert and how these resources
32can be best utilized by law enforcement to benefit the mentally
33disabled community.

34(7) The fact that a crime committed in whole or in part because
35of an actual or perceived disability of the victim is a hate crime
36punishable under Title 11.6 (commencing with Section 422.55)
37of Part 1.

38(c) The course described in subdivision (a) shall be shared with
39the State Fire Marshal, who may revise the course as appropriate
40to the firefighter training environment.

P3    1(d) The Legislature encourages law enforcement agencies to
2include the course created in this section, and any other course
3certified by the commission relating tobegin delete mentally disabled persons,end delete
4begin insert persons with mental disabilities,end insert as part of their advanced officer
5training program.

6(e) It is the intent of the Legislature to reevaluate the extent to
7which law enforcement officers are receiving adequate training in
8how to interact withbegin delete mentally disabled persons.end deletebegin insert persons with mental
9disabilities.end insert



O

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