Relates to establishing mandatory continuing law enforcement education for peace officers; requires peace officers to biannually complete a minimum of 32 credit hours of training including de-escalation techniques, implicit biases and mental health training.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A320
SPONSOR: Walker
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to establishing
mandatory continuing law enforcement education for peace officers
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To require peace officers to take continuing education courses.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 provides that peace officer shall complete bi-annual mandatory
continuing education course. The training shall be in de-escalation
techniques, implicit biases and mental health training. No employer
shall allow any peace officer it employers to carry or use a weapon if
such officer did not complete the continuing education course.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
Most professions require some form of continuing education. Doctors and
lawyers are required to take continuing education course to maintain
their licenses. This is because these professions, and those similarly
situated, require a great deal of public trust and their fields are
constantly evolving. Likewise, peace officers are professional whose
possession and power entail a great deal of public trust, and their
field, like that of an attorney, is constantly changing. New laws,
procedures and technologies can affect daily operations, even recent
changes in the fields of psychology and social science has brought an
increased awareness as to mental illnesses, drug dependency and racial
biases. The peace officer, no less than the doctor or lawyer, must also
keep abreast of the changes to their profession.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2019-2020: A10717 - Referred to Codes
2021-2022: A4286 - Referred to Codes
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
To be Determined.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
Immediately.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
320
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 4, 2023
___________
Introduced by M. of A. WALKER -- read once and referred to the Committee
on Codes
AN ACT to amend the criminal procedure law, in relation to establishing
mandatory continuing law enforcement education for peace officers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 2.30 of the criminal procedure law is amended by
2 adding a new subdivision 7 to read as follows:
3 7. Every peace officer in the state shall, bi-annually, successfully
4 complete, at a minimum, thirty-two credit hours of training designed to
5 enable such peace officers to more effectively carry out their duties.
6 Such training shall cover de-escalation techniques, implicit biases and
7 mental health training. Such training shall be prescribed by the munici-
8 pal police training council. Training received by a peace officer in
9 excess of thirty-two hours in any one year may be carried over by the
10 member into succeeding years in order to meet the requirement of this
11 subdivision. Training may be provided in a variety of formats, including
12 but not limited to, electronic media, video, distance learning and
13 traditional classroom training. No employer shall allow any peace offi-
14 cer it employs to carry or use a weapon during any phase of the offi-
15 cer's official duties, unless the officer has satisfactorily completed
16 the required hours of this subdivision. A peace officer who fails to
17 successfully complete training under this subdivision shall not exercise
18 the powers enumerated under section 2.20 of this article.
19 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01000-01-3