FINAL BILL REPORT

SSB 5473

C 270 L 03

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Requiring the criminal justice training commission to train officers on interacting with persons with a developmental disability or mental illness.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senators Regala, B. Sheldon, Johnson, Kohl-Welles, Winsley and Rasmussen).

Senate Committee on Judiciary

House Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections

Background: All Washington State peace officers are required to complete basic law enforcement training. Pursuant to statutory requirements, the Criminal Justice Training Commission is responsible for establishing and providing basic law enforcement training. Currently, the basic law enforcement curriculum is composed of the following core subject areas: introduction to law enforcement, criminal law, criminal procedures, patrol procedures, communication skills, emergency vehicle operation, human relations, traffic law, firearms, defensive tactics, and criminal investigation.

Summary: The Criminal Justice Training Commission must develop, in consultation with appropriate organizations and agencies, a training session on law enforcement interaction with developmentally disabled and mentally ill persons. The training must consist of classroom or internet instruction and should be made available to law enforcement agencies, through electronic means, for use at their convenience. At a minimum, the training must address the following areas: (a) the cause and nature of mental illnesses and developmental disabilities; (b) how to identify indicators of mental illness and developmental disabilities, as well as how to respond appropriately in a variety of common situations; (c) conflict resolution and de-escalation techniques for potentially dangerous situations involving mentally ill and developmentally disabled persons; (d) appropriate language usage when interacting with mentally ill and developmentally disabled persons; (e) alternatives to lethal force when interacting with potentially dangerous mentally ill and developmentally disabled persons; and (f) community and state resources available to mentally ill and developmentally disabled persons, as well as how law enforcement can use these resources to benefit the mentally ill and developmentally disabled communities.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48  0

House       92  0    (House amended)

Senate       44  0    (Senate concurred)

Effective: July 27, 2003