HB 1712

Abstract

Department of Criminal Justice Services; training curriculum on certain arrests. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a training curriculum for law-enforcement agencies, law-enforcement officers, and special conservators of the peace on the discretion such officers can exercise regarding certain arrests. The bill requires that such training curriculum be created by July 1, 2027, and include (i) instruction on the scope and nature of law-enforcement officer discretion in arrest decisions, with particular emphasis on encounters with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, including individuals currently subject to an emergency custody order, a temporary detention order, or an involuntary admission order, and (ii) instruction on the immediate and long-term effects of arrests on individuals in need of mental health services due to a mental health crisis, including impacts on treatment outcomes as identified in substantially accepted peer-reviewed research literature. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2027, to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum by January 1, 2028, and any person employed as a law-enforcement officer on or after July 1, 2027, to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum within one year of his date of hire. Lastly, the bill directs the Criminal Justice Services Board to promulgate regulations pursuant to relevant law requiring special conservators of the peace to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum established by the bill by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person applying for an initial or renewal registration as a special conservator of the peace on or after July 1, 2027 to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum as part of his compulsory training standards.As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 1194.

An Act to amend and reenact §§ 9.1-102 and 19.2-81.3 of the Code of Virginia, relating to Department of Criminal Justice Services; curriculum on certain arrests.