1     
PEACE OFFICER TRAINING AMENDMENTS

2     
2021 GENERAL SESSION

3     
STATE OF UTAH

4     
Chief Sponsor: Angela Romero

5     
Senate Sponsor: ____________

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7     LONG TITLE
8     General Description:
9          This bill requires a portion of a peace officer's annual training to include certain
10     subjects.
11     Highlighted Provisions:
12          This bill:
13          ▸     requires a peace officer's annual training to include training on:
14               •     mental health and other crisis intervention responses;
15               •     arrest control; and
16               •     de-escalation training; and
17          ▸     requires that the standards for this training be developed under the supervision and
18     approval of the Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
19     Money Appropriated in this Bill:
20          None
21     Other Special Clauses:
22          None
23     Utah Code Sections Affected:
24     AMENDS:
25          53-6-202, as last amended by Laws of Utah 2020, Fifth Special Session, Chapter 6
26     

27     Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:

28          Section 1. Section 53-6-202 is amended to read:
29          53-6-202. Basic training course -- Completion required -- Annual training --
30     Prohibition from exercising powers -- Reinstatement.
31          (1) (a) The director shall:
32          (i) (A) suggest and prepare subject material; and
33          (B) schedule instructors for basic training courses; or
34          (ii) review the material and instructor choices submitted by a certified academy.
35          (b) The subject material, instructors, and schedules shall be approved or disapproved
36     by a majority vote of the council.
37          (2) The materials shall be reviewed and approved by the council on or before July 1st
38     of each year and may from time to time be changed or amended by majority vote of the council.
39          (3) The basic training in a certified academy:
40          (a) shall be appropriate for the basic training of peace officers in the techniques of law
41     enforcement in the discretion of the director; and
42          (b) may not include the use of chokeholds, carotid restraints, or any act that impedes
43     the breathing or circulation of blood likely to produce a loss of consciousness, as a valid
44     method of restraint.
45          (4) (a) All peace officers must satisfactorily complete the basic training course or the
46     waiver process provided for in this chapter as well as annual certified training of not less than
47     40 hours as the director, with the advice and consent of the council, directs.
48          (b) A peace officer who fails to satisfactorily complete the annual training shall
49     automatically be prohibited from exercising peace officer powers until any deficiency is made
50     up.
51          (c) (i) The annual training shall include no less than 16 hours of training focused on
52     mental health and other crisis intervention responses, arrest control, and de-escalation training.
53          (ii) Standards for the training shall be developed under the supervision and approval of
54     the council.