SB 972 — AN ACT CONCERNING CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS.

Senate GeneralBill Assembly File No.

379972 JanuaryPublic Session,Act 2023 Senate Bill No.

97223-104 Senate,AN AprilACT 3,CONCERNING 2023CRISIS TheINTERVENTION CommitteeTRAINING onFOR PublicPOLICE SafetyOFFICERS andAND SecurityCOLLABORATION reportedBETWEEN throughPOLICE SEN.OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS.

GASTON of the 23rd Dist., Chairperson of the Committee on the part of the Senate, that the bill ought to pass.

AN ACT CONCERNING CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS.

SB972(b) /On Fileand after October 1, 2023, each police basic or review training programconducted oradministeredby thePolice Officer Standardsand Training Council, the Division of State Police within the Department of Senate Bill No.

379972 1Emergency SB972Services Fileand No.Public Protection or a municipal police department shall include the training curriculum developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

379 (b) On and after October 1, 2023, each police basic or review training programconducted oradministeredby thePolice Officer Standardsand Training Council, the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or a municipal police department shall include the training curriculum developed pursuant to subsection (a) of this section.

(NEW) (Effective July 1, 2023) Not later than JulyJanuary 1, 2024, the Police Officer Standards and Training Council shall (1) examine (A) programs and strategies used in the state or other jurisdictions through which police officers collaborate with social workers, and (B) the evaluation submitted pursuant to section 18 ofpublic act 20-1 of the July special session;

ThisApproved actJune shall26, take2023 effectPublic asAct followsNo. and shall amend the following sections:

July23-104 1,2 2023of Section2 1 7-294v Sec.

2 July 1, 2023 New section PS Joint Favorable SB972 / File No.

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379 The following Fiscal Impact Statement and Bill Analysis are prepared for the benefit of the members of the General Assembly, solely for purposes of information, summarization and explanation and do not represent the intent of the General Assembly or either chamber thereof for any purpose.

In general, fiscal impacts are based upon a variety of informational sources, including the analyst’s professional knowledge.

Whenever applicable, agency data is consulted as part of the analysis, however final products do not necessarily reflect an assessment from any specific department.

OFA Fiscal Note State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None Explanation The bill requires the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) to update its training curriculum on interactions with persons withmentalorphysicaldisabilitiesandissueguidanceonprogramsand strategies for police collaboration with social workers, resulting in no fiscal impact to the state or municipalities, as POST has the expertise to meet the bill's requirements.

The Out Years State Impact:

None Municipal Impact:

None SB972 / File No.

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379 OLR Bill Analysis SB 972 AN ACT CONCERNING CRISIS INTERVENTION TRAINING FOR POLICE OFFICERS AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN POLICE OFFICERS AND SOCIAL WORKERS.

SUMMARY Under existing law, each police basic or review training program conducted or administered by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council (POST), the State Police, or a municipal police department must include POST-developed curricula for police officersoninteracting with peoplewho(1)havementalorphysicaldisabilitiesand(2)aredeaf,hard of hearing, or deaf-blind.

This bill requires POST to, by July 1, 2024, add to these curricula crisis intervention strategies for police officers to use when interacting with people with mental illness in crisis.

The bill also builds off social worker feasibility evaluations that were required by Section 18 of PA 20-1, July Special Session.

Under the act, the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection and each municipal police department had to submit to POST an evaluation of the feasibility and potential impact of social workers responding to calls for assistance (either remotely or in person) or joining a police officer on calls where a social worker’s experience and training could provide help.

The bill requires POST to, by July 1, 2024, (1) examine these evaluations and any programs and strategies used in Connecticut or other jurisdictions on police officer and social worker collaborations;

and (2) issue guidance to law enforcement units with recommendations on how police officers may collaborate with social workers.

EFFECTIVE DATE:

July 1, 2023 SB972 / File No.

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379 COMMITTEE ACTION Public Safety and Security Committee Joint Favorable Yea 25 Nay 0 (03/16/2023) SB972 / File No.

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