HB2071 Summary

• Establishes a Law Enforcement Standards Board within the Department of the Attorney General to certify and regulate county police officers, state public safety officers, and employees of the Departments of Transportation, Land and Natural Resources, Taxation, and Attorney General with police powers.

• Board composition includes nine ex officio members (Attorney General, Director of Public Safety, four county police chiefs, and heads of Transportation, Land and Natural Resources, and Taxation), two law enforcement officers with at least ten years of experience, and four public members (one from each county) with specified qualifications in criminal justice, law, or security.

• Authorizes the board to establish minimum employment standards, approve basic and specialized training programs, charge certification fees, investigate misconduct, and deny or revoke certifications for felony convictions, falsification of applications, obstruction of investigations, or other prohibited conduct.

• Requires no person to be appointed as a law enforcement officer without valid board certification, except during probationary employment periods as determined by the board.

• Appropriates $100,000 from general revenues for fiscal year 2018-2019 to establish the Law Enforcement Standards Board Special Fund; effective date is July 1, 2018, with board standards and certification process to be finalized by July 1, 2019.