Peace officer training: driving under the influence.

Plain English Breakdown

The official source does not provide details on consequences for officers who do not complete training.

Training Police Officers About Drunk Driving

This law requires police officers who work on traffic enforcement to take special training about catching drivers who are drunk or high.

What This Bill Does

• Requires the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to create a course by July 1, 2027, for detecting and stopping drivers under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
• The course must be at least three hours long and cover topics like field sobriety tests, drug effects, and report writing.
• Police officers assigned to traffic enforcement must complete this training within one year of their assignment and every two years after that.

Who It Names or Affects

• Police officers who work on traffic enforcement
• The Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

Terms To Know

Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

A group that sets rules for police training in California.

National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)

An agency that provides guidelines and courses to help officers detect drunk drivers.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if police officers do not complete the required training.
• Local agencies may need extra money to pay for this new training requirement.

Official Summary Text

AB 1814, as amended, Alanis.
Peace officer training: driving under the influence.
Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training, and requires the commission to, among other things, establish a certification program for peace officers, as defined. Existing law requires the commission, in consultation with specified subject matter experts, to develop guidelines and a course of instruction and training for law enforcement officers, including, but not limited to, hate crimes, elder and dependent abuse, and stalking.
This bill would require, no later than July 1, 2027, the commission to establish and maintain a training course relating to the detection and apprehension of drivers whose behavior
indicates that they may be driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol. The bill would require the course to be at least 3 hours and to include certain topics, such as standardized field sobriety testing,
physiology of drugs, and report writing, among others. The bill would require peace officers assigned to traffic enforcement to complete the course within one year of their assignment and every 2 years thereafter. The bill would authorize a peace officer to complete other specified training courses, in lieu of this requirement.
This bill would require peace officers assigned primarily to traffic enforcement to complete a National Highway Transportation Safety Administration (NHTSA)-approved standard field sobriety testing course of a minimum of 16 hours within one year of their assignment and, if an officer leaves employment with a law enforcement agency and does not become employed by a law enforcement agency within 2 years of their departure date, would require the officer to complete any of
several specified commission-certified training courses, including a NHTSA refresher course if they are assigned to traffic enforcement.
Because this bill would require additional training for local peace officers, it would impose a state-mandated local program.
The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement.
This bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF