SB 676

Under current law, the Law Enforcement Standards Board (the board) is

attached to the Department of Justice. There are 15 members on the board who serve

four-year terms and, among other duties, establish minimum educational and

training standards for law enforcement officers, tribal law enforcement officers, jail

officers, juvenile detention officers, and constables.

This bill separates the training standards into three distinct categories: the

standards for law enforcement officers and tribal law enforcement officers; the

standards for jail officers; and the standards for juvenile detention officers. Under

the bill, constables whose town boards require them to undergo training are subject

to the same training standards as law enforcement officers and tribal law

enforcement officers.

The bill makes several changes to the training and education standards,

including setting forth a training and education protocol for law enforcement

students, recruits, and temporary or probationary employees. Under the bill, law

enforcement officer and tribal law enforcement officer students are required to

submit fingerprints and undergo a criminal background check. Any person who has

been convicted of a felony or of a misdemeanor related to domestic violence may not

participate in a student training program for becoming a law enforcement officer or

a tribal law enforcement officer. Under the bill, under most circumstances a recruit

or a temporary or probationary employee must complete his or her training program

within the original period of his or her temporary or probationary employment, not

to exceed 18 months, except that the board may extend that period if the employer

shows good cause for the board to do so.

The bill eliminates specific hour requirements for training and education and

allows the board to determine the specific training curricula, including the required

subjects, number of hours, objectives, and measures of performance for the training

and education protocol for each category of officer. The bill requires the board to

include, in different measure for each category of officer, training in cultural

differences, mental health and physical health conditions that can affect behavior,

and arrest and pursuit procedures. The bill allows the board more flexibility than

exists under current law for determining how law enforcement agencies are

reimbursed for expenses related to training and educating officers.