Senate Bill 565 Summary

• Appropriates $200,000 annually for the 2021-2023 biennium to hire two grant writers in the Department of Justice to assist law enforcement agencies with identifying and applying for grant funds.

• Provides $250,000 in recurring annual funds for 2021-2023 to award grants to law enforcement agencies supporting community policing initiatives.

• Establishes statewide databases for law enforcement certification suspensions and revocations, and for critical incident use-of-force data, requiring all agencies to search these databases before hiring decisions.

• Classifies strangulation holds, neck restraints, and oxygen/blood flow restrictions as deadly force; requires officers to use minimum necessary force and attempt de-escalation; imposes a duty to intervene and report excessive force by fellow officers.

• Mandates minimum age of 21 for law enforcement officers and establishes minimum mental health screening protocols for entry-level employment and annual screenings thereafter; appropriates $1,000,000 annually to fund these screenings and $1,000,000 annually for grants supporting detective positions investigating Class D felonies or higher.