Rhode Island 2023 Regular Session

Rhode Island Senate Bill S1049 Compare Versions

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

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5	5	2023 -- S 1049
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7	7	LC003040
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9	9	S TATE OF RHODE IS LAND
10	10	IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
11	11	JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023
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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: Senators Burke, Tikoian, Quezada, LaMountain, McKenney, Raptakis,
18	18	and F. Lombardi
19	19	Date Introduced: May 19, 2023
20	20	Referred To: Senate Judiciary
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23	23	It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
24	24	SECTION 1. Section 42-28.2-8.3 of the General Laws in Chapter 42-28.2 entitled "Police 1
25	25	Officers — Commission on Standards and Training" is hereby amended to read as follows: 2
26	26	42-28.2-8.3. Educational requirements — National certified mental health first aid 3
27	27	training Educational requirements — National certified mental health training. 4
28	28	(a) The commission on standards and training shall prepare and publish mandatory training 5
29	29	standards to provide instructions for police officers in identifying recognizing the possible 6
30	30	existence of a mental disorder and handling of complaints involving mental health/substance abuse 7
31	31	use emergencies, and victims, witnesses, or suspects with mental illness or substance use disorders 8
32	32	and shall develop guidelines for law enforcement responses to incidents involving such persons. 9
33	33	The course of instruction shall comply with the certified National Council of Behavioral Health 10
34	34	Mental Health First Aid Program (MHFA) for law enforcement, or an International Certified Crisis 11
35	35	Intervention Team (ICCIT) training program, or other best practice training recognized by the 12
36	36	International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). Instruction and the guidelines shall include: 13
37	37	(1) Identifying and recognizing Recognizing the possible existence of a mental illness or 14
38	38	substance use disorders for the benefit of victims and witnesses, the availability of civil remedies 15
39	39	and community resources for persons experiencing mental health emergencies, and the protection 16
40	40	of persons with mental illness or substance use disorders and for law enforcement officers engaging 17
41	41	such persons; 18
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45	45	(2) Providing information to law enforcement officers to recognize the signs and symptoms 1
46	46	of common mental illnesses and substance use disorders, de-escalating crisis situations safely, and 2
47	47	initiating timely referral to mental health and substance abuse use resources available in the 3
48	48	community. 4
49	49	(b) The commission shall include training in all curricula for recruits and in-service 5
50	50	trainees, in all police academies operating or certified by the commission. All law enforcement 6
51	51	trainees shall be certified by the National Council of Behavioral Health in Mental Health First Aid, 7
52	52	or an International Certified Crisis Intervention Team (ICCIT) training program, or other best 8
53	53	practice training recognized by the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP). 9
54	54	(c) All law enforcement trainees shall participate in the course of basic training for law 10
55	55	enforcement officers, established in this section, as part of their required certification process. 11
56	56	(d) Training presenters shall include a behavioral health practitioners practitioner with 12
57	57	expertise in the delivery of direct services to individuals experiencing mental health or substance 13
58	58	abuse use emergencies, and may also include police officers who are certified trainers in the 14
59	59	respective training being delivered and victims, witnesses, and suspects with lived experience of 15
60	60	mental illness and consumer-survivors i.e. individuals with mental illness or substance use 16
61	61	disorders. Training presentations may utilize the staff of community-based mental health treatment 17
62	62	facilities. 18
63	63	(e) The course of instruction, the learning and performance objectives, the standards for 19
64	64	training, and the guidelines shall be developed by the Rhode Island municipal police training 20
65	65	committee commission in consultation with groups and individuals having an interest and expertise 21
66	66	in the field of mental health and community-based treatment. 22
67	67	(f) The Rhode Island municipal police training committee commission periodically shall 23
68	68	include within its in-service training curriculum a course of instruction on handling complaints 24
69	69	from or against persons with mental illness or substance use disorders, consistent with the 25
70	70	provisions of subsections (a)(1) and (a)(2). 26
71	71	(g) As used in this section, the following words and terms shall have the following 27
72	72	meanings: 28
73	73	(1) “Law enforcement officer” shall mean any officer of a municipal police department or 29
74	74	a department of the state. 30
75	75	(2) “Consumer-survivor” shall mean any individual suffering from with lived experience 31
76	76	of a mental health disability condition or substance abuse use disorder. 32
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80	80	SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage. 1
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87	87	EXPLANATION
88	88	BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
89	89	OF
90	90	A N A C T
91	91	RELATING TO STATE AFFAIRS AND GOVERNMENT -- POLICE OFFICERS -
92	92	COMMISSION ON STANDA RDS AND TRAINING
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94	94	This act would require police training on recognizing the possible existence of mental 1
95	95	health disorders and substance use disorders and would require certified crisis intervention team 2
96	96	training for all officers. 3
97	97	This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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