Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island House Bill H5185 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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5	5	2023 -- H 5185
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7	7	LC000197
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9	9	S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
12	12	____________
13	13
14	14	A N A C T
15	15	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- POLICE OFFICERS--
16	16	COMMISSION ON STANDA RDS AND TRAINING
17	17	Introduced By: Representatives Cortvriend, Hull, Donovan, Spears, Dawson, Knight,
18	18	Noret, Solomon, Tanzi, and Felix
19	19	Date Introduced: January 19, 2023
20	20	Referred To: House State Government & Elections
21	21
22	22
23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Chapter 42-28.2 of the General Laws entitled "Police Officers - Commission 1
25	25	on Standards and Training" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following sections: 2
26	26	42-28.2-8.4. Training on calls involving individuals with cognitive or communication-3
27	27	related disabilities -- Educational requirements. 4
28	28	(a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training 5
29	29	standards to provide instruction for police officers in identifying, responding to, handling, 6
30	30	investigating and reporting all incidents involving victims, witnesses, or suspects with cognitive or 7
31	31	communication-related disabilities and shall develop guidelines for law enforcement responses to 8
32	32	incidents involving such persons. Instruction and guidelines shall include: 9
33	33	(1) Identifying and recognizing cognitive and communication-related disabilities for the 10
34	34	benefit of victims, witnesses and suspects, the availability of community resources for persons 11
35	35	experiencing emergencies, and the protection of persons with cognitive and communication-related 12
36	36	disabilities and for law enforcement officers engaging such persons; and 13
37	37	(2) Providing information to law enforcement officers to recognize the signs and symptoms 14
38	38	of common cognitive and communication-related disabilities, de-escalating crisis situations safely, 15
39	39	and initiating timely referrals to resources available in the community. 16
40	40	(b) The commission shall include training in all curricula for recruits and in-service 17
41	41	trainees, in all police academies operating or certified by the commission. 18
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44	44	LC000197 - Page 2 of 4
45	45	(c) All law enforcement trainees shall participate in the course of basic training for law 1
46	46	enforcement officers, established in this section, as part of their required certification process. 2
47	47	(d) Training presenters shall include: 3
48	48	(1) Intellectual/developmental disabilities and communication disabilities practitioners 4
49	49	with expertise in the delivery of direct services to individuals with cognitive disabilities or 5
50	50	communication-related disabilities; and 6
51	51	(2) Individuals with cognitive disabilities or communication-related disabilities. 7
52	52	(e) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for 8
53	53	training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the municipal police training committee in 9
54	54	consultation with practitioners and advocates having an interest and expertise in providing services 10
55	55	and supports to individuals with cognitive disabilities or communication-related disabilities in 11
56	56	community-based settings. 12
57	57	(f) Training presentations may utilize the staff of community-based providers of services 13
58	58	and supports for individuals with cognitive disabilities and communication-related disabilities, as 14
59	59	well as videos or webinars developed by other federal, state or municipal law enforcement agencies. 15
60	60	(g) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following 16
61	61	meanings: 17
62	62	(1) “Police detective” means any member of a municipal police department or a department 18
63	63	in the state that is assigned to conduct investigations of complaints. 19
64	64	(2) The terms “cognitive disabilities” and “communication-related disabilities” mean a 20
65	65	severe, chronic disability of a person which: 21
66	66	(i) Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment; 22
67	67	(ii) Is likely to continue indefinitely; or 23
68	68	(iii) Results in substantial functional limitations in receptive or expressive language. 24
69	69	42-28.2-8.5. Training in investigating and handling complaints involving victims, 25
70	70	witnesses or suspects with cognitive or communication-related disabilities -- Educational 26
71	71	requirements. 27
72	72	(a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training 28
73	73	standards to provide instruction for police detectives in investigating and handling complaints 29
74	74	involving victims, witnesses or suspects with cognitive or communication-related disabilities and 30
75	75	shall develop guidelines for detectives responding to incidents involving such persons. 31
76	76	(b) The commission on standards and training shall include and require training in the 32
77	77	curricula described in subsection (a) of this section for all newly commissioned police detectives 33
78	78	and in-service trainees, in all police academies operated or certified by the commission. 34
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82	82	(c) Training presenters shall include: 1
83	83	(1) Intellectual/developmental disabilities and communication disabilities practitioners 2
84	84	with expertise in the delivery of direct services to individuals with cognitive disabilities or 3
85	85	communication-related disabilities; and 4
86	86	(2) Individuals with cognitive disabilities or communication-related disabilities. 5
87	87	(d) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for 6
88	88	training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the municipal police training committee in 7
89	89	consultation with practitioners and advocates having an interest and expertise in providing services 8
90	90	and supports to individuals with cognitive disabilities or communication-related disabilities in 9
91	91	community-based settings. 10
92	92	(e) Training presentations may utilize the staff of community-based providers of services 11
93	93	and supports for individuals with cognitive disabilities and communication-related disabilities, as 12
94	94	well as videos or webinars developed by other federal, state or municipal law enforcement agencies. 13
95	95	(f) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following 14
96	96	meanings: 15
97	97	(1) “Police detective” means any member of a municipal police department or a department 16
98	98	in the state that is assigned to conduct investigations of complaints. 17
99	99	(2) The terms “cognitive disabilities” and “communication-related disabilities” mean, a 18
100	100	severe, chronic disability of a person which: 19
101	101	(i) Is attributable to a mental or physical impairment; 20
102	102	(ii) Is likely to continue indefinitely; or 21
103	103	(iii) Results in substantial functional limitations in receptive or expressive language. 22
104	104	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 23
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111	111	EXPLANATION
112	112	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
113	113	OF
114	114	A N A C T
115	115	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- POLICE OFFICERS--
116	116	COMMISSION ON STANDA RDS AND TRAINING
117	117	***
118	118	This act would require the police officers commission on standards and training to provide 1
119	119	training and instructions for police officers and trainees in order to more accurately identify 2
120	120	complaints involving persons with cognitive or communication-related disabilities and to develop 3
121	121	law enforcement responses to such emergencies, including training for police investigating such 4
122	122	complaints. 5
123	123	This act would take effect upon passage. 6
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125	125	LC000197
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