Senate Bill 2468

AN ACT TO REQUIRE THE MISSISSIPPI JUDICIAL COLLEGE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI LAW CENTER TO PREPARE AND CONDUCT COURSES OF TRAINING CONCERNING THE FEDERAL VICTIMS OF TRAFFICKING AND VIOLENCE PROTECTION ACT TO BE OFFERED TO JUDGES, DISTRICT ATTORNEYS AND LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS; TO AMEND SECTIONS 45-6-7 AND 45-6-11, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, TO CONFORM; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

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

SECTION 1. (1) (a) The Mississippi Judicial College of the University of Mississippi Law Center shall prepare and conduct courses of training for basic and continuing education concerning the federal Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act for judges, district attorneys and law enforcement officers. The training shall focus on the T-Visa and the U-Visa, two (2) temporary nonimmigrant federal visa categories which afford to noncitizen victims of crime the opportunity to assist law enforcement in investigating and prosecuting the perpetrators of crimes against noncitizens. The content of the basic and continuing education courses and when and where such courses are to be conducted shall be determined by the Judicial College. The Judicial College shall issue certificates of completion to those who complete the courses.

(b) The Judicial College shall make the training required in subsection (1)(a) of this section a part of the following training courses: chancery clerks, as provided by Section 9-5-132; circuit clerks, as provided by Section 9-7-122; justice court judges, as provided by Section 9-11-3; justice court clerks, as provided by Section 9-11-29; municipal court judges, as provided by Section 21-23-5; municipal court clerks, as provided by Section 21-23-12; youth court referees, as provided by Section 43-210-111; municipal police chiefs and officers, as provided by Section 45-6-19.

(c) The Judicial College, to the extent possible, shall make the training required in subsection (1)(a) of this section a part of the annual judicial continuing education hours mandated under Rule 3 of the Rules and Regulations for Mandatory Continuing Judicial Education.

(d) The Judicial College shall cooperate with the Board on Law Enforcement Officers Standards and Training to offer the training required in subsection (1)(a) of this section available to law enforcement officers and law enforcement trainees as otherwise required by law.

(e) All elected district attorneys and all legal assistants to the district attorneys shall participate in the annual training required by this section. The training may be made available online, or may be incorporated into the Prosecutor's Association's annual meeting to satisfy this requirement.

(2) All costs and expenses for preparing and conducting the basic and continuing education courses shall be paid out of any funds which are made available to the Judicial College upon authorization and appropriation by the Legislature.

SECTION 2. Section 45-6-7, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended as follows:

45-6-7. In addition to the powers conferred upon the board elsewhere in this chapter, the board shall have power to:

(a) Promulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this chapter, including the authority to require the submission of reports and information by law enforcement agencies of the state and its political subdivisions.

(b) Establish minimum educational and training standards for admission to employment or appointment as a law enforcement officer or a part-time law enforcement officer: (i) in a permanent position; and (ii) in a probationary status.

(c) Certify persons as being qualified under the provisions of this chapter to be law enforcement officers or part-time law enforcement officers.

(d) Revoke certification for cause and in the manner provided in this chapter. The board is authorized to subpoena documents regarding revocations. The board shall maintain a current list of all persons certified under this chapter who have been placed on probation, suspended, subjected to revocation of certification, or any combination of these.

(e) Establish minimum curriculum requirements for basic and advanced courses and programs for schools operated by or for the state or any political subdivision thereof for the specific purpose of training police and other law enforcement officers, both full and part time.

(f) Consult and cooperate with counties, municipalities, state agencies, other governmental agencies, and with universities, colleges, community and junior colleges and other institutions concerning the development of training schools, programs or courses of instruction for personnel defined in this chapter.

(g) Make recommendations concerning any matter within its purview pursuant to this chapter.

(h) Make such inspection and evaluation as may be necessary to determine if governmental units are complying with the provisions of this chapter.

(i) Approve law enforcement officer training schools for operation by or for the state or any political subdivision thereof for the specific purpose of training personnel defined in this chapter.

(j) Upon the request of agencies employing personnel defined in this chapter, conduct surveys or aid municipalities and counties to conduct surveys through qualified public or private agencies and assist in the implementation of any recommendations resulting from such surveys.

(k) Upon request of agencies within the purview of this chapter, conduct general and specific management surveys and studies of the operations of the requesting agencies at no cost to those agencies. The role of the board under this subsection shall be that of management consultant.

(l) Adopt and amend regulations consistent with law, for its internal management and control of board programs.

(m) Enter into contracts or do such things as may be necessary and incidental to the administration of this chapter.

(n) Establish jointly with the State Board of Education the minimum level of basic law enforcement training required of persons employed by school districts as school security guards, or school resource officers or in other positions that have the powers of a peace officer.

(o) Establish jointly with the Mississippi Judicial College of the University of Mississippi Law Center a component of the basic law enforcement training program that will comply with the requirements of Section 1 of Senate Bill No. ____, 2010 Regular Session.

SECTION 3. Section 45-6-11, Mississippi Code of 1972, is amended 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 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 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 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;

(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.

(11) Any law enforcement officer certified under the provisions of this chapter shall participate in three (3) hours of annual training as provided in Section 1 of Senate Bill No. 2468, 2010 Regular Session. The Mississippi Judicial College may provide for online annual training to satisfy this requirement. Any elected sheriff, constable, or chief of police may participate in the annual training covered by this subsection (11).

SECTION 4. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2010.