All general authority peace officers must be certified by the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) as a condition of employment.  Once a person is conditionally offer of employment with a law enforcement agency, the person must undergo a background investigation to determine the applicant's suitability for employment.  After the background check is complete, the person may complete the certification process with the CJTC, including undergoing basic law enforcement training.

By January 1, 2025, the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) must establish a program to recruit and certify a pool of candidates who may be hired by city and county law enforcement agencies.  When recruiting applicants for the pool, the CJTC must use best human resources practices to produce an applicant pool with a broad spectrum of backgrounds and experience.  The CJTC may utilize contractors to meet the requirements of the program. 
 
To be eligible for the pool, an applicant must meet the same requirements as a person with a conditional offer of employment, including a background check.  Once an applicant is accepted in the pool, the applicant must complete basic law enforcement training.  For purposes of prioritizing available training slots, the CJTC must treat a pool applicant the same as an applicant with a conditional offer of employment.
 
Law enforcement agencies from cities with populations of less than 100,000 or counties with populations of less than 300,000 may hire applicants out of the pool.  The offer of employment may be made at any time, including prior to the applicant completing basic law enforcement training.  If the applicant is hired prior to completing the training, the offer of employment is considered a conditional offer of employment and does not affect the applicant's obligation to complete basic law enforcement training prior to certification.  After an applicant is hired, the applicant is considered an employee of the law enforcement agency.
 
A law enforcement agency that hires an officer out of the pool must reimburse the CJTC for the per capita costs of training that officer.  The amount of the reimbursement must be set by the CJTC in rule.  When calculating the per capita costs, the CJTC may not include the start-up costs associated with the program.