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OLR Bill Analysis
sSB 135
AN ACT CONCERNING ACCREDITATION STANDARDS FOR LAW
ENFORCEMENT UNITS.
SUMMARY
This bill makes several changes to the minimum standards and
practices for administering and managing law enforcement units (see
BACKGROUND) , including eliminating a requirement that units obtain
and maintain accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for
Law Enforcement Agencies, Inc. (CALEA) by 2025. Instead, by 2026,
units must either (1) be certified as meeting the requirements for three
state-accreditation tiers developed by the Police Officer Standards and
Training Council (POST) or (2) meet a higher level of accreditation
standards developed by CALEA.
The bill also requires that the minimum standards and practices
include compliance with specific POST guidance on reporting
procedures for police officer certificate suspension, cancellation, or
revocation (i.e., POST General Notice 20-09). Under the bill, if a law
enforcement unit fails to comply with the guidance, then POST may
revoke the unit’s certificate of compliance with the appropriate state-
accreditation tier or tiers.
Lastly, the bill makes several conforming changes, including to the
law on POST’s authority and a prohibition on civil actions against a law
enforcement unit for damages from failing to obtain and maintain the
required certification or accreditation.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
ADJUSTED MINIMUM STANDARDS AND PRACTICES
Until December 31, 2024, current law requires POST and the
Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) to
jointly develop, adopt, and revise, as necessary, minimum standards 2022SB-00135-R000022-BA.DOCX
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and practices for administering and managing law enforcement units,
based in part on CALEA standards. Additionally, law enforcement units
must:
1. from January 1, 2019, until December 31, 2024, adopt and
maintain (a) POST-DESPP’s minimum standards and practices or
(b) a higher level of accreditation standards developed by POST
or CALEA; and
2. starting in 2025, obtain and maintain CALEA accreditation.
The bill eliminates the sunset date on POST-DESPP developing,
adopting, and revising their minimum standards and practices and
requires POST to, within available appropriations, divide the current
minimum standards and practices into three state-accreditation tiers by
January 1, 2023, thereby codifying POST’s existing three-tiered
accreditation structure. Across a prescribed period of more than three
years, the bill requires units to (1) be certified as meeting the acceptable
standards for each tier or (2) meet higher accreditation standards
developed by CALEA that are otherwise acceptable for each tier.
Table 1 below describes the minimum standards and practices of each
state-accreditation tier and the dates by which units must have
certification.
Table 1: Minimum Standards & Practices Tiers Schedule
Tier I Tier II Tier III
Minimum
Standards &
Practices
Description
Minimum standards
and practices
designed to protect
law enforcement
units from liability,
enhance service
delivery, and
improve public
confidence in units
Minimum standards
and practices for unit
administration,
management, and
operation
Higher minimum
standards and
practices for unit
administration,
management, and
operation
Required
Certification
Dates
By January 1, 2023,
and until December
31, 2023
By January 1, 2024,
and until December
31, 2025
By January 1, 2026,
and after
2022SB-00135-R000022-BA.DOCX
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The bill makes conforming changes to extend to each tier the current
requirements for POST to (1) publish and distribute the standards and
practices, (2) jointly review and certify unit compliance with DESPP,
and (3) work with units to obtain the required certification or
accreditation if they fail to do so.
BACKGROUND
Current Minimum Standards and Practices
The current version of the DESPP-POST minimum standards and
practices is published within POST General Notice 20-04. By law, they
must include standards and practices regarding:
1. bias-based policing,
2. use of force,
3. response to family violence crimes,
4. body camera use,
5. police misconduct complaints,
6. electronic defense weapons use,
7. eyewitness identification procedures,
8. notifications of death and related events, and
9. police pursuits.
Law Enforcement Units
By law, a “law enforcement unit” is any state or municipal agency or
department (or tribal agency or department created and governed
under a memorandum of agreement) whose primary functions include
enforcing criminal or traffic laws; preserving public order; protecting
life and property; or preventing, detecting, or investigating crime (CGS
§ 7-294a).
COMMITTEE ACTION 2022SB-00135-R000022-BA.DOCX
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Public Safety and Security Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 23 Nay 1 (03/03/2022)