SF 81

as introduced - 91st Legislature, 2020 1st Special Session (2019 - 2020) Posted on 06/13/2020 02:31pm

A bill for an act
relating to public safety; establishing standards for crisis intervention and mental
illness crisis training for peace officers; requiring a report; appropriating money;
amending Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 626.8469.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

Section 1.

Minnesota Statutes 2018, section 626.8469, is amended to read:

626.8469 TRAINING IN CRISIS RESPONSE, CONFLICT MANAGEMENT,
AND CULTURAL DIVERSITY.

Subdivision 1.

In-service training required.

Beginning July 1, 2018, the chief law
enforcement officer of every state and local law enforcement agency shall provide in-service
training in crisis intervention and mental illness crises; conflict management and mediation;
and recognizing and valuing community diversity and cultural differences to include implicit
bias training to every peace officer and part-time peace officer employed by the agency.
The training shall comply with learning objectives developed and approved by the board
and shall meet board requirements for board-approved continuing education credit. Crisis
intervention and mental illness crisis training shall meet the standards in subdivision 1a.
The training shall consist of at least 16 continuing education credits with a minimum of
four hours for crisis intervention and mental illness crisis training within an officer's
three-year licensing cycle. Each peace officer with a license renewal date after June 30,
2018, is not required to complete this training until the officer's next full three-year licensing
cycle.

Subd. 1a.

Crisis intervention and mental illness crisis training.

(a) The board, in
consultation with the commissioner of human services and mental health stakeholders, shall
create a list of approved entities and training courses to instruct peace officers in techniques
for responding to a mental illness crisis. A course must include scenario-based instruction
and cover most of the following issues:

(1) techniques for relating to individuals with mental illnesses and the individuals'
families;

(2) techniques for crisis de-escalation;

(3) techniques for relating to diverse communities and education on mental illness
diversity;

(4) mental illnesses and the criminal justice system;

(5) community resources and supports for individuals experiencing a mental illness crisis
and for the individuals' families;

(6) psychotropic medications and the medications' side effects;

(7) co-occurring mental illnesses and substance use disorders;

(8) suicide prevention;

(9) mental illnesses and disorders and the symptoms; and

(10) autism spectrum disorder.

(b) A course must also include training on children and families of individuals with
mental illnesses to enable officers to respond appropriately to others who are present during
a mental illness crisis. The board shall update the list of approved entities and training
courses periodically as it considers appropriate.

Subd. 2.

Record keeping required.

The head of every local and state law enforcement
agency shall maintain written records of the agency's compliance with the requirements of
subdivision 1. subdivisions 1 and 1a including, at a minimum:

(1) documentation of the training provider;

(2) documentation of the content of the training provided;

(3) documentation that crisis intervention and mental illness crisis training included
scenario-based instruction in compliance with the standards described in subdivision 1a;

(4) compiled evaluations; and

(5) explanation of expenditure of funds.

The documentation is subject to periodic review by the board, and shall be made available
submitted to the board at its request. The board shall include in the compliance reviews
required in section 626.8459 an evaluation of the effectiveness of in-service crisis intervention
and mental illness crisis training in reducing officer use of force and diverting people
experiencing a mental illness crisis from arrest.

Subd. 3.

Licensing sanctions; injunctive relief.

The board may impose licensing
sanctions and seek injunctive relief under section 214.11 for failure to comply with the
requirements of this section.

Sec. 2. APPROPRIATION; PEACE OFFICER CRISIS INTERVENTION AND
MENTAL ILLNESS CRISIS TRAINING.

$....... in fiscal year 2021 is appropriated from the general fund to the Peace Officer
Standards and Training (POST) Board to reimburse law enforcement agency crisis
intervention and mental illness crisis training expenses for training that is provided by
approved entities according to Minnesota Statutes, section 626.8469, subdivision 1a.

Sec. 3. APPROPRIATION; POLICE AND MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS TEAM
COLLABORATION.

$....... in fiscal year 2021 is appropriated from the general fund to the Peace Officer
Standards and Training (POST) Board to administer a pilot project to create collaborations
between county mobile crisis mental health services described in Minnesota Statutes, section
245.469, and municipal law enforcement agencies. The appropriation shall be used to
purchase tablets and video conferencing telehealth services to allow peace officers to connect
quickly with members of the mobile crisis mental health team to assist individuals in crisis.
No later than September 1, 2021, law enforcement agencies awarded grants shall provide
a written report to the board describing the expenditure of funds and evaluating the
effectiveness of the project in diverting people experiencing a mental illness crisis from
arrest. The board shall submit a written report compiling the law enforcement agency reports
and evaluating the program to the chairs and ranking minority members of the house of
representatives and senate committees with jurisdiction over public safety by January 1,
2022.