Plain English Breakdown
The official text states reimbursement is conditional ('if' the commission determines costs are mandated), so it cannot be guaranteed.
New Training Rules for Police Officers on Driving Under the Influence
This law requires police officers assigned to traffic enforcement to complete specific training courses about detecting drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
What This Bill Does
- Requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to create a course by July 1, 2027, focused on spotting drunk or drugged driving.
- Sets a minimum length of 3 hours for this new training course covering topics like field sobriety tests, drug effects, and report writing.
- Mandates that traffic enforcement officers finish the 3-hour course within one year of their assignment and every two years after that.
- Allows officers to complete other specified training courses instead of the required 3-hour course.
- Requires officers primarily assigned to traffic duties to complete a separate, longer 16-hour standard field sobriety testing course approved by NHTSA within one year of their assignment.
- Requires officers who leave law enforcement and do not return for two years or more to take specific refresher courses before returning to traffic enforcement roles.
Who It Names or Affects
- Peace officers assigned to enforce traffic laws
- The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training
Terms To Know
- Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST)
- The state agency that sets training rules for police officers.
- Standardized Field Sobriety Testing
- A set of physical tests used by officers to check if a driver is impaired.
- NHTSA-approved course
- Training that meets the standards set by the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration.
Limits and Unknowns
- The bill lists examples of training topics but does not list every specific topic included in the courses.
- Reimbursement for local agency costs depends on a future decision by the Commission on State Mandates regarding whether state-mandated costs exist.