(a) Except as provided in subdivision (e), any sheriff, undersheriff, or deputy sheriff of a county, any police officer of a city, and any police officer of a district authorized by statute to maintain a police department, who is first employed after January 1, 1975, shall successfully complete a course of training prescribed by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training before exercising the powers of a peace officer, except while participating as a trainee in a supervised field training program approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training. Each police chief, or any other person in charge of a local law enforcement agency, appointed on or after January 1, 1999, as a condition of continued employment, shall complete the course of training pursuant to this subdivision within two years of appointment. The training course for a sheriff, an undersheriff, and a deputy sheriff of a county, and a police chief and a police officer of a city or any other local law enforcement agency, shall be the same.

(b) For the purpose of ensuring competent peace officers and standardizing the training required in subdivision (a), the commission shall develop a testing program, including standardized tests that enable (1) comparisons between presenters of the training and (2) assessments of trainee achievement. The trainees’ test scores shall be used only for the purposes enumerated in this subdivision and those research purposes as shall be approved in advance by the commission. The commission shall take all steps necessary to maintain the confidentiality of the test scores, test items, scoring keys, and other examination data used in the testing program required by this subdivision. The commission shall determine the minimum passing score for each test and the conditions for retesting students who fail. Passing these tests shall be required for successful completion of the training required in subdivision (a). Presenters approved by the commission to provide the training required in subdivision (a) shall administer the standardized tests or, at the commission’s option, shall facilitate the commission’s administration of the standardized tests to all trainees.

(c) Community colleges may give preference in enrollment to employed law enforcement trainees who shall complete training as prescribed by this section. At least 15 percent of each presentation shall consist of non-law-enforcement trainees if they are available. Preference should only be given when the trainee could not complete the course within the time required by statute, and only when no other training program is reasonably available. Average daily attendance for these courses shall be reported for state aid.

(d) Prior to July 1, 1987, the commission shall make a report to the Legislature on academy proficiency testing scores. This report shall include an evaluation of the correlation between academy proficiency test scores and performance as a peace officer.

(e) (1) Any deputy sheriff described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.1 shall be exempt from the training requirements specified in subdivisions (a) and (b) as long as his or her assignments remain custodial related.

(2) Deputy sheriffs described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.1 shall complete the training for peace officers pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 832, and within 120 days after the date of employment, shall complete the training required by the Board of State and Community Corrections for custodial personnel pursuant to Section 6035, and the training required for custodial personnel of local detention facilities pursuant to Subchapter 1 (commencing with Section 100) of Chapter 1 of Division 1 of Title 15 of the California Code of Regulations.

(3) Deputy sheriffs described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.1 shall complete the course of training pursuant to subdivision (a) prior to being reassigned from custodial assignments to duties with responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the criminal laws of this state. A deputy sheriff who has completed the course of training pursuant to subdivision (a) and has been hired as a deputy sheriff described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.1 shall be eligible to be reassigned from custodial assignments to duties with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the criminal laws of this state within three years of completing the training pursuant to subdivision (a). A deputy sheriff shall be eligible for reassignment within five years of having completed the training pursuant to subdivision (a) without having to complete a requalification for the regular basic course provided that all of the following are satisfied:

(A) The deputy sheriff remains continuously employed by the same department in which the deputy sheriff is being reassigned from custodial assignments to duties with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the criminal laws of this state.

(B) The deputy sheriff maintains the perishable skills training required by the commission for peace officers assigned to duties with the responsibility for the prevention and detection of crime and the general enforcement of the criminal laws of this state.

(f) Any school police officer first employed by a K–12 public school district or California Community College district after July 1, 1999, shall successfully complete a basic course of training as prescribed by subdivision (a) before exercising the powers of a peace officer. A school police officer shall not be subject to this subdivision while participating as a trainee in a supervised field training program approved by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training.

(g) The commission shall prepare a specialized course of instruction for the training of school peace officers, as defined in Section 830.32, to meet the unique safety needs of a school environment. This course is intended to supplement any other training requirements.

(h) Any school peace officer first employed by a K–12 public school district or California Community College district before July 1, 1999, shall successfully complete the specialized course of training prescribed in subdivision (g) no later than July 1, 2002. Any school police officer first employed by a K–12 public school district or California Community College district after July 1, 1999, shall successfully complete the specialized course of training prescribed in subdivision (g) within two years of the date of first employment.

(Amended (as amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 86, Sec. 228) by Stats. 2018, Ch. 17, Sec. 1. (AB 1888) Effective January 1, 2019.)