House Bill 861 Summary

• Requires all county sheriff departments and municipal police departments to develop and implement written motor vehicle police pursuit policies by December 31, 2026.

• Mandates pursuit policies include specific elements: prohibiting pursuits for misdemeanor offenses only, decision-making criteria for initiating and terminating pursuits, officer responsibilities, communications protocols, inter-jurisdictional coordination procedures, and training requirements.

• Authorizes the Office of Standards and Training to examine compliance annually and issue certificates of noncompliance to non-compliant agencies, with notice and 30-day cure period.

• Allows Department of Revenue to withhold state allocations and payments to non-compliant counties and municipalities, with forfeiture of withheld funds after 90 days unless compliance is achieved.

• Allows civil action within 90 days of noncompliance certificate issuance to place disputed withheld funds in escrow pending final court determination.