MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE

2021 Regular Session

To: Public Health and Human Services; Judiciary B

By: Representative Bell (65th)

House Bill 618

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY TO ESTABLISH A TRAINING COMPONENT RELATING TO AUTISM SPECTRUM DISORDER; TO BRING FORWARD SECTIONS 45-6-11 AND 45-6-19, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, FOR PURPOSES OF POSSIBLE AMENDMENT; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

     BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

     SECTION 1.  The Department of Public Safety shall establish a training component relating to autism spectrum disorder as defined in Section 83-9-26.  The training component shall include, but need not be limited to, instruction on the recognition of the symptoms and characteristics of an individual on the autism disorder spectrum and appropriate responses to an individual exhibiting such symptoms and characteristics.  The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training shall consider completion of the training component toward hours of instruction required for continued employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer.

     SECTION 2.  Section 45-6-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

     45-6-11.  (1)  Law enforcement officers already serving under permanent appointment on July 1, 1981, and personnel of the Division of Community Services under Section 47-7-9, Mississippi Code of 1972, serving on July 1, 1994, shall not be required to meet any requirement of subsections (3) and (4) of this section as a condition of continued employment; nor shall failure of any such law enforcement officer to fulfill such requirements make that person ineligible for any promotional examination for which that person is otherwise eligible.  Provided, however, if any law enforcement officer certified under the provisions of this chapter leaves his employment as such and does not become employed as a law enforcement officer within two (2) years from the date of termination of his prior employment, he shall be required to comply with board policy as to rehiring standards in order to be employed as a law enforcement officer; except, that, if any law enforcement officer certified under this chapter leaves his employment as such to serve as a sheriff, he may be employed as a law enforcement officer after he has completed his service as a sheriff without being required to comply with board policy as to rehiring standards.  Part-time law enforcement officers serving on or before July 1, 1998, shall have until July 1, 2001, to obtain certification as a part-time officer.

     (2)  (a)  Any person who has twenty (20) years of law enforcement experience and who is eligible to be certified under this section shall be eligible for recertification after leaving law enforcement on the same basis as someone who has taken the basic training course.  Application to the board to qualify under this paragraph shall be made no later than June 30, 1993.

          (b)  Any person who has twenty-five (25) years of law enforcement experience, whether as a part-time, full-time, reserve or auxiliary officer, and who has received certification as a part-time officer, may be certified as a law enforcement officer as defined in Section 45-6-3(c) without having to meet further requirements.  Application to the board to qualify under this paragraph shall be made no later than June 30, 2009.

     (3)  (a)  No person shall be appointed or employed as a law enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer unless that person has been certified as being qualified under the provisions of subsection (4) of this section.

          (b)  No person shall be appointed or employed as a law enforcement trainee in a full-time capacity by any law enforcement unit for a period to exceed one (1) year.  No person shall be appointed or employed as a law enforcement trainee in a part-time, reserve or auxiliary capacity by any law enforcement unit for a period to exceed two (2) years.  The prohibition against the appointment or employment of a law enforcement trainee in a full-time capacity for a period not to exceed one (1) year or a part-time, reserve or auxiliary capacity for a period not to exceed two (2) years may not be nullified by terminating the appointment or employment of such a person before the expiration of the time period and then rehiring the person for another period.  Any person, who, due to illness or other events beyond his control, could not attend the required school or training as scheduled, may serve with full pay and benefits in such a capacity until he can attend the required school or training.

          (c)  No person shall serve as a law enforcement officer in any full-time, part-time, reserve or auxiliary capacity during a period when that person's certification has been suspended, cancelled or recalled pursuant to the provisions of this chapter.

     (4)  In addition to the requirements of subsections (3), (7) and (8) of this section, the board, by rules and regulations consistent with other provisions of law, shall fix other qualifications for the employment of law enforcement officers, including minimum age, education, physical and mental standards, citizenship, good moral character, experience and such other matters as relate to the competence and reliability of persons to assume and discharge the responsibilities of law enforcement officers, and the board shall prescribe the means for presenting evidence of fulfillment of these requirements.  Additionally, the board shall fix qualifications for the appointment or employment of part-time law enforcement officers to essentially the same standards and requirements as law enforcement officers.  The board shall develop and implement a part-time law enforcement officer training program that meets the same performance objectives and has essentially the same or similar content as the programs approved by the board for full-time law enforcement officers and the board shall provide that such training shall be available locally and held at times convenient to the persons required to receive such training.

     (5)  Any elected sheriff, constable, deputy or chief of police may apply for certification.  Such certification shall be granted at the request of the elected official after providing evidence of satisfaction of the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of this section.  Certification granted to such elected officials shall be granted under the same standards and conditions as established by law enforcement officers and shall be subject to recall as in subsection (7) of this section.

     (6)  The board shall issue a certificate evidencing satisfaction of the requirements of subsections (3) and (4) of this section to any applicant who presents such evidence as may be required by its rules and regulations of satisfactory completion of a program or course of instruction in another jurisdiction or military training equivalent in content and quality to that required by the board for approved law enforcement officer education and training programs in this state, and has satisfactorily passed any and all diagnostic testing and evaluation as required by the board to ensure competency.

     (7)  Professional certificates remain the property of the board, and the board reserves the right to either reprimand the holder of a certificate, suspend a certificate upon conditions imposed by the board, or cancel and recall any certificate when:

          (a)  The certificate was issued by administrative error;

          (b)  The certificate was obtained through misrepresentation or fraud;

          (c)  The holder has been convicted of any crime involving moral turpitude;

          (d)  The holder has been convicted of a felony;

          (e)  The holder has committed an act of malfeasance or has been dismissed from his employing law enforcement agency; or

          (f)  Other due cause as determined by the board.

     (8)  When the board believes there is a reasonable basis for either the reprimand, suspension, cancellation of, or recalling the certification of a law enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer, notice and opportunity for a hearing shall be provided in accordance with law prior to such reprimand, suspension or revocation.

     (9)  Any full- or part-time law enforcement officer aggrieved by the findings and order of the board may file an appeal with the chancery court of the county in which such person is employed from the final order of the board.  Such appeals must be filed within thirty (30) days of the final order of the board.

     (10)  Any full- or part-time law enforcement officer whose certification has been cancelled pursuant to this chapter may reapply for certification, but not sooner than two (2) years after the date on which the order of the board cancelling such certification becomes final. 

     SECTION 3.  Section 45-6-19, Mississippi Code of 1972, is brought forward as follows:

     45-6-19.  (1)  The chief of police of any municipality in the State of Mississippi is required to annually complete twenty (20) hours of executive level continuing education courses which are approved by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training.  Any new chief of police having never previously served in that capacity, is required to complete forty (40) hours of executive level continuing education courses for his first year of service.  Such education courses may be provided by an accredited law enforcement academy or by the Mississippi  Association of Chiefs of Police.

     (2)  Any police officer of any municipality in the State of Mississippi is required to annually complete a specified number of hours, as stated in this subsection, of continuing education courses which are approved by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training.  The following number of hours of continuing education courses is required for municipal police officers based upon the number of years following July 1, 2004:

   0-2 years after July 1, 2004 ........8 hours of annual training

   3-4 years after July 1, 2004 .......16 hours of annual training

   5 or more years after July 1, 2004..24 hours of annual training

Such education courses may be provided by an accredited law enforcement academy or by the Mississippi Association of Chiefs of Police.

     (3)  The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training shall reimburse each municipality for the expense incurred for chiefs of police and municipal police officers in attendance at approved training programs as required by this section.

     (4)  Any chief of police or municipal police officer who fails to comply with the provisions of this section shall be subject to having his certification as a chief of police or municipal police officer revoked by the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training, in accordance with Section 45-6-11.

     (5)  The Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training is authorized to institute and promulgate all rules necessary for considering the revocation of any municipal chief of police or municipal police officer who does not comply with the provisions of this section, and may grant, for sufficient cause shown, an extension of time in which compliance with the provisions of this section may be made.

     (6)  Any chief of police or municipal police officer who is aggrieved by any order or ruling made under the provisions of this section has the same rights and procedure of appeal as from any other order or ruling of the Mississippi Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training.

     SECTION 4.  This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2021.