Bill Text: CA SB1221 | 2015-2016 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Firefighters: interaction with persons with mental disabilities.

Spectrum: Bipartisan Bill

Status: (Passed) 2016-09-14 - Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 367, Statutes of 2016. [SB1221 Detail]

Download: California-2015-SB1221-Introduced.html

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BILL NUMBER: SB 1221	INTRODUCED
	BILL TEXT


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 introduced, 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 to firefighters and fire departments in California. 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:

  SECTION 1.  Section 13515.25 of the Penal Code is amended to read:
   13515.25.  (a)  By July 1, 2006, the   The
 Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training shall
establish and keep updated a continuing education classroom training
course relating to law enforcement interaction with mentally disabled
persons. The training course shall be developed by the commission in
consultation with appropriate community, local, and state
organizations and agencies that have expertise in the area of mental
illness and developmental disability, and with appropriate consumer
and family advocate groups. In developing the course, the commission
shall also examine existing courses certified by the commission that
relate to mentally disabled persons. The commission shall make the
course available to law enforcement agencies in  California.
  California, and may make the course available to
firefighters and fire departments in California. 
   (b) The course described in subdivision (a) shall consist of
classroom instruction and shall utilize interactive training methods
to ensure that the training is as realistic as possible. The course
shall include, at a minimum, core instruction in all of the
following:
   (1) The cause and nature of mental illnesses and developmental
disabilities.
   (2) How to identify indicators of mental disability and how to
respond appropriately in a variety of common situations.
   (3) Conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for
potentially dangerous situations involving mentally disabled persons.

   (4) Appropriate language usage when interacting with mentally
disabled persons.
   (5) Alternatives to lethal force when interacting with potentially
dangerous mentally disabled persons.
   (6) Community and state resources available to serve mentally
disabled persons and how these resources can be best utilized by law
enforcement to benefit the mentally disabled community.
   (7) The fact that a crime committed in whole or in part because of
an actual or perceived disability of the victim is a hate crime
punishable under Title 11.6 (commencing with Section 422.55) of Part
1. 
   (c) The commission shall submit a report to the Legislature by
October 1, 2004, that shall include all of the following: 

   (1) A description of the process by which the course was
established, including a list of the agencies and groups that were
consulted.  
   (2) Information on the number of law enforcement agencies that
utilized, and the number of officers that attended, the course or
other courses certified by the commission relating to mentally
disabled persons from July 1, 2001, to July 1, 2003, inclusive.
 
   (3) Information on the number of law enforcement agencies that
utilized, and the number of officers that attended, courses certified
by the commission relating to mentally disabled persons from July 1,
2000, to July 1, 2001, inclusive.  
   (4) An analysis of the Police Crisis Intervention Training (CIT)
Program used by the San Francisco and San Jose Police Departments, to
assess the training used in these programs and compare it with
existing courses offered by the commission in order to evaluate the
adequacy of mental disability training available to local law
enforcement officers.  
   (d) 
    (c)  The Legislature encourages law enforcement agencies
to include the course created in this section, and any other course
certified by the commission relating to mentally disabled persons, as
part of their advanced officer training program. 
   (e) 
    (d)  It is the intent of the Legislature to 
reevaluate, on the basis of its review of the report required in
subdivision (c),   reevaluate  the extent to which
law enforcement officers are receiving adequate training in how to
interact with mentally disabled persons.