S.B. 922 Summary

• Requires law enforcement officers to report observed criminal misconduct by other officers to their department head in writing immediately or as soon as practicable, with department heads having 15 days to investigate and notify the county police chief.

• Establishes that criminal misconduct includes assault, sexual assault, bribery, coercion, fraud, theft, tampering with evidence, tampering with a witness, use of a chokehold, or excessive use of force.

• Mandates psychological screening test battery administered by a licensed psychologist or psychiatrist as a prerequisite for appointment as a law enforcement officer, with results valid for one year.

• Prohibits law enforcement officers from using a chokehold unless deadly force is justifiable, defining chokehold as application of pressure to the throat, windpipe, or neck that prevents or reduces air or oxygen intake to the brain.

• Makes failure to report observed criminal misconduct or committing criminal misconduct grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of a law enforcement officer's certification by the board.