BILL NUMBER: AB 2059 CHAPTERED 09/26/00 CHAPTER 633 FILED WITH SECRETARY OF STATE SEPTEMBER 26, 2000 APPROVED BY GOVERNOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2000 PASSED THE ASSEMBLY AUGUST 22, 2000 PASSED THE SENATE AUGUST 18, 2000 AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 14, 2000 AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY APRIL 27, 2000 INTRODUCED BY Assembly Member Vincent (Principal coauthors: Assembly Members Alquist and Washington) (Coauthors: Assembly Members Correa and Pescetti) (Coauthor: Senator Ortiz) FEBRUARY 22, 2000 An act to add Section 832.25 to the Penal Code, relating to peace officers. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 2059, Vincent. Peace officers: welfare fraud investigators. (1) Existing law provides that welfare fraud investigators and inspectors are peace officers whose authority extends to any place in the state for the purpose of performing their primary duty and other specified situations. Existing law generally provides that every peace officer shall satisfactorily complete an introductory course of training approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training prior to exercising the powers of a peace officer. This bill would require that all welfare fraud investigators or inspectors appointed as peace officers on or after January 1, 2001, attend and complete a specialized investigators basic course approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within one year of being hired, provided that welfare fraud investigators and inspectors appointed prior to January 1, 2001, who have been continuously employed in that capacity prior to January 1, 2001, by the county that made the appointment, or who have successfully completed the basic peace officer course within 3 years prior to appointment, or who possess a basic peace officer course certificate, would not be required to attend and complete this training. By imposing additional training costs on local agencies, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. (2) 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, including the creation of a State Mandates Claims Fund to pay the costs of mandates that do not exceed $1,000,000 statewide and other procedures for claims whose statewide costs exceed $1,000,000. 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. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS: SECTION 1. Section 832.25 is added to the Penal Code, to read: 832.25. (a) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, all welfare fraud investigators or inspectors who are appointed as peace officers pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 830.35 on or after January 1, 2001, shall attend and complete a specialized investigators basic course approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within one year of being hired as a welfare investigator or inspector. Any welfare fraud investigator or inspector appointed prior to January 1, 2001, shall not be required to attend and complete the training required by this section, provided that he or she has been continuously employed in that capacity prior to January 1, 2001, by the county that made the appointment. (b) Any investigator or inspector who possesses a valid basic peace officer certificate as awarded by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training or who has successfully completed the regular basic course certified by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training basic course within three years prior to appointment shall be exempt from the training requirements of subdivision (a). SEC. 2. Notwithstanding Section 17610 of the Government Code, 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. If the statewide cost of the claim for reimbursement does not exceed one million dollars ($1,000,000), reimbursement shall be made from the State Mandates Claims Fund.