Peace officers.

Plain English Breakdown

The exact nature of the 'specific exceptions' is not fully detailed in the provided official bill text, leading to some ambiguity in the requirements and deadlines for peace officers with less than 8 years of experience.

Police Officer Education Requirements

This legislation changes the education requirements for peace officers in California by removing certain criteria and allowing foreign degrees to be evaluated for equivalency.

What This Bill Does

• Removes the requirement for the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to approve and adopt specific educational criteria based on a report from the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges.
• Allows credential evaluation services to assess if foreign college or university degrees meet the requirements for becoming a peace officer in California.
• Requires new peace officers, starting January 1, 2031, to complete certain degrees or certificates within 36 months after receiving their basic certificate from the commission, unless they have specific exceptions.
• Specifies that peace officers with less than 8 years of experience as a sworn officer in another state or military service must complete required education within 48 months instead of 36 months.
• Allows coursework completed during military or law enforcement training to count towards meeting degree requirements.

Who It Names or Affects

• Peace officers in California
• Credential evaluation services for foreign degrees

Terms To Know

Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training

A group within the Department of Justice that sets education standards for peace officers.

Basic certificate

An initial certification given to new peace officers after completing basic training.

Limits and Unknowns

• The bill does not specify what happens if a peace officer fails to meet the education requirements within the set deadlines.
• It is unclear how the changes will affect current peace officers who do not have the required degrees or certificates by January 1, 2031.

Official Summary Text

AB 992, Irwin.
Peace officers.
Existing law requires the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges, in consultation with specified entities, to develop a modern policing degree program and to prepare and submit a report to the Legislature outlining a plan to implement the program. Existing law establishes the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training within the Department of Justice and requires the commission to approve and adopt the education criteria for peace officers, based on the recommendations in the report.
This bill would repeal the requirement for the commission to approve and adopt the criteria described above.
Existing law requires a peace officer to meet specified requirements, including, to be a high school graduate or meet equivalency standards, as specified, or to attain a 2-year, 4-year, or advanced
degree from an accredited college or university.
This bill would authorize specified credential evaluation services to evaluate the equivalency of a foreign college or university degree for purposes of attaining a degree as described above. The bill would require, commencing January 1, 2031, a peace officer, as specified, to attain one or more specified degrees or certificates no later than 36 months after receiving their basic certificate by the commission, as specified, unless the person is employed by the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation or as a deputy sheriff of specified counties and is employed to perform duties relating to custodial
facilities, as specified, has at least 8 years of experience as a sworn peace officer of another state or at least 8 years of military service in the Armed Forces of the United States, as specified, is employed as a peace officer by the State Department of State Hospitals, or is, as of December 31, 2030, currently enrolled in a basic academy or is employed as a peace officer by a public entity in California. The bill would require a peace officer with experience as a sworn peace officer from another state
or with experience serving in the Armed Forces of the United States who served for less than 8 years, as specified, to attain one or more of the specified degrees or certificates no later than 48 months after receiving their basic certificate by the commission. The bill would authorize coursework completed as part of military or law enforcement training to count toward a degree or certificate, as specified.

Current Bill Text

Download Bill PDF