Gene Yaw voted Yea (Passage) on this Legislation.
Title: Establishes New Training Requirements for Police Officers
Signed by Governor Tom Wolf
Title: Establishes New Training Requirements for Police Officers
Vote to pass a bill that establishes new training requirements for police officers regarding use of force, community and cultural awareness, and implicit bias.
Requires magisterial district judges to annually complete a continuing education program equivalent to 32 hours in courses approved by the board, including 1 course on the identification and reporting of child abuse and court proceedings involving children, and at least every 6 years, a course on the identification of mental illness and the availability of diversionary options for individuals with mental illness (Sec. 1).
Requires law enforcement agencies to provide law enforcement officers with a mental health evaluation for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) by a licensed mental health professional upon request of the officer, upon recommendation of a supervising officer, or within 30 days of an incident of the use of lethal force during the course of law enforcement duties (Sec. 2).
Requires law enforcement officers who experience symptoms of PTSD to be provided treatment under a licensed physician’s care until the physician determines in writing that the officer is able to resume full duties (Sec. 2).
Requires law enforcement officers to be assigned to administrative duty if they fail to undergo a mental health evaluation for PTSD or if a licensed mental health professional determines they are experiencing symptoms of PTSD and are not yet able to resume full duties (Sec. 2).
Requires the commission to provide trainings for police officers, including, but not limited to (Sec. 3):
Recognition of mental illness, intellectual disabilities, and autism;
Techniques to interact with and de-escalate individuals engaging in behavior indicative of mental illness, intellectual disability, or autism;
Instruction on services available to individuals with mental illness, intellectual disabilities, or autism;
Instruction on interacting with individuals of diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds;
Recognition of child abuse;
Instruction on reporting suspected child abuse;
Instruction on trauma informed care;
Recognition of PTSD and techniques to interact with individuals with PTSD, including intervening with or on behalf of other police officers exhibiting PTSD;
Annual in-service training on the use of force, including deadly force, de-escalation, and harm reduction techniques; and
Biennial in-service training on community and cultural awareness, implicit bias, procedural justice, and reconciliation techniques.
Requires police officers to attend a minimum number of hours of in-service training as provided for by regulation, to maintain certification by the commission (Sec. 3).
Title: Establishes New Training Requirements for Police Officers
Title: Establishes New Training Requirements for Police Officers