2018 -- H 8251

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LC005687

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2018

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- COMMISSION ON

STANDARDS AND TRAINING

     Introduced By: Representatives O'Brien, Marshall, Almeida, McKiernan, and Craven

     Date Introduced: May 30, 2018

     Referred To: House Judiciary

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Section 42-28.2-8.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-28.2 entitled "Police

Officers - Commission on Standards and Training" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     42-28.2-8.3. Educational requirements -- National certified mental health first aid

training Educational requirements -- Mental health training.

     (a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory

training standards to provide instructions for police officers in identifying and handling of

complaints involving mental health/substance abuse emergencies, and victims, witnesses, or

suspects with mental illness or substance use disorders and shall develop guidelines for law

enforcement responses to incidents involving such persons. The course of instruction shall

comply with the certified National Council of Behavioral Health Mental Health First Aid

Program (MHFA) for law enforcement all minimum standards certified by the commission.

Instruction and the guidelines shall include:

     (1) Identifying and recognizing mental illness, or substance use disorders, and intellectual

and developmental disabilities for the benefit of victims and witnesses, the availability of civil

remedies and community resources for persons experiencing mental health emergencies, and the

protection of persons with mental illness, or substance use disorders, and intellectual and

developmental disabilities and for law enforcement officers engaging such persons;

     (2) Providing information to law enforcement officers to recognize the signs and

symptoms of common mental illnesses, and substance use disorders, intellectual and

developmental disabilities, de-escalating crisis situations safely, and initiating timely referral to

mental health, and substance abuse use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities

resources available in the community.

     (b) The commission shall include training in all curricula for recruits and in-service

trainees, in all police academies operating or certified by the commission. All law enforcement

trainees shall be certified by the National Council of Behavioral Health in Mental Health First

Aid.

     (c) All law enforcement trainees shall participate in the course of basic minimum

standards certified by the commission in training for law enforcement officers, established in this

section, as part of their required certification process.

     (d) Training presenters shall include behavioral health practitioners with expertise in the

delivery of direct services to individuals experiencing mental health, or substance use disorder

and intellectual and developmental disabilities, abuse emergencies and victims, witnesses, and

suspects with mental illness and consumer-survivors i.e. individuals with mental illness, or

substance use disorders and intellectual and developmental disabilities. Training presentations

may utilize the staff of community-based mental behavioral and developmental health treatment

facilities.

     (e) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for

training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the municipal police training committee in

consultation with groups and individuals having an interest and expertise in the field of mental

behavioral and developmental health and community-based treatment.

     (f) The municipal police training committee periodically shall include within its in-

service training curriculum a course of instruction on handling complaints from or against

persons with mental illness or substance use disorders or intellectual and developmental

disabilities, consistent with the provisions of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2).

     (g) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following

meanings:

     (1) "Law enforcement officer" shall mean any officer of a municipal police department or

a department of the state.

     (2) "Consumer-survivor" shall mean any individual suffering from mental health

disability or substance abuse disorder.

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     SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- COMMISSION ON

STANDARDS AND TRAINING

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     This act would require that police officers receive mental health training in compliance

with police officer commission certified standards and training for persons suffering from mental

illness, substance use disorder, and intellectual and developmental disabilities.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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