Bill Summary: HB 05351

• Establishes a tiered accreditation system for law enforcement units with Tier One standards by January 1, 2023, Tier Two by January 1, 2024, and Tier Three by January 1, 2026, based on International Association of Chiefs of Police and Commission on Accreditation standards.

• Prohibits law enforcement units from hiring or certifying officers dismissed for malfeasance or serious misconduct, or who resigned under investigation, unless exonerated; adds definitions of serious misconduct including failure to intervene in excessive force and intimidation based on protected class membership.

• Restricts police searches of motor vehicles stopped for traffic violations to only those based on probable cause or solicited consent (with reasonable suspicion) or unsolicited consent, and requires documentation of search justification within 48 hours.

• Mandates officers to intervene when witnessing illegal use of force by another officer and report any such incidents to their law enforcement unit, with criminal liability for failure to report; protects intervening and reporting officers from retaliation.

• Prohibits acquisition of military-grade equipment under federal 1033 program except when municipal police departments hold public hearings and receive Commissioner approval; requires legislative committee approval before State Police shooting range improvements proceed.