BILL NUMBER: SB 11 ENROLLED
BILL TEXT
PASSED THE SENATE SEPTEMBER 2, 2015
PASSED THE ASSEMBLY SEPTEMBER 1, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY AUGUST 28, 2015
AMENDED IN ASSEMBLY JULY 8, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE JUNE 1, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE APRIL 15, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE MARCH 23, 2015
AMENDED IN SENATE FEBRUARY 26, 2015
INTRODUCED BY Senators Beall and Mitchell
(Coauthors: Senators Anderson, Galgiani, Hancock, Hertzberg, Leno,
Liu, Monning, and Stone)
(Coauthors: Assembly Members Chávez, Frazier, Cristina Garcia,
Low, and Maienschein)
DECEMBER 1, 2014
An act to add Sections 13515.26 and 13515.27 to the Penal Code,
relating to peace officer training standards.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
SB 11, 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 review the training module
relating to persons with a mental illness, intellectual disability,
or substance abuse disorder in its basic training course, and develop
additional training to better prepare law enforcement officers to
recognize, deescalate, and appropriately respond to persons with
mental illness, intellectual disability, or substance use disorders.
The bill would require that this training be at least 15 hours,
address issues relating to stigma, be culturally relevant and
appropriate, include training scenarios and facilitated learning
activities, and be included in the current hour requirement of the
regular basic course.
The bill would also require POST to establish and keep updated a
classroom-based continuing training course that includes
instructor-led active learning relating to behavioral health and law
enforcement interaction with persons with mental illness,
intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders. The bill
would require that this continuing training course be at least 3
consecutive hours. The bill would require this course be made
available to each law enforcement officer with a rank of supervisor
or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or to supervise
officers who are assigned to patrol duties.
This bill would require implementation of the training module and
continuing training course no later than August 1, 2016.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF CALIFORNIA DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
SECTION 1. Section 13515.26 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
13515.26. (a) The commission shall review the training module in
the regular basic course relating to persons with a mental illness,
intellectual disability, or substance use disorder, and analyze
existing training curricula in order to identify areas where
additional training is needed to better prepare law enforcement to
effectively address incidents involving mentally disabled persons.
(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 disability, and
substance use 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) Recognizing indicators of mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(2) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.
(3) Use of force options and alternatives.
(4) The perspective of individuals or families who have
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(5) Mental health resources available to the first responders to
events that involve mentally disabled persons.
(d) The course of instruction shall be at least 15 hours, and
shall include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities
relating to law enforcement interaction with persons with mental
illness, intellectual disability, and substance use disorders.
(e) The course shall be presented within the existing hours
allotted for the regular basic course.
(f) The commission shall implement this section on or before
August 1, 2016.
SEC. 2. Section 13515.27 is added to the Penal Code, to read:
13515.27. (a) The commission shall establish and keep updated a
classroom-based continuing training course that includes
instructor-led active learning, such as scenario-based training,
relating to behavioral health and law enforcement interaction with
persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance
use disorders.
(b) This course shall be at least three consecutive hours, may
include training scenarios and facilitated learning activities, shall
address issues related to stigma, shall be culturally relevant and
appropriate, and shall include all of the following topics:
(1) The cause and nature of mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(2) Indicators of mental illness, intellectual disability, and
substance use disorders.
(3) Appropriate responses to a variety of situations involving
persons with mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance
use disorders.
(4) Conflict resolution and deescalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations.
(5) Appropriate language usage when interacting with potentially
emotionally distressed persons.
(6) Resources available to serve persons with mental illness or
intellectual disability.
(7) The perspective of individuals or families who have
experiences with persons with mental illness, intellectual
disability, and substance use disorders.
(c) The course described in subdivisions (a) and (b) shall be made
available by the commission to each law enforcement officer with a
rank of supervisor or below and who is assigned to patrol duties or
to supervise officers who are assigned to patrol duties.
(d) The commission shall implement this section on or before
August 1, 2016.