Bill > LB73

This bill modifies the annual continuing education requirements for law enforcement officers in Nebraska by introducing a population-based approach to determining the number of mandatory training hours. Specifically, law enforcement officers in counties with 40,000 or more inhabitants will now be required to complete 32 hours of continuing education annually, while officers in counties with fewer than 40,000 inhabitants will continue to be required to complete 20 hours. The bill maintains the existing requirement for officers to participate in training across various critical areas, including de-escalation, mental health, substance abuse, anti-bias training, firearms, officer wellness, legal updates, and vehicular pursuit policy review. The bill provides flexibility in how these educational hours can be obtained, allowing for seminars, college classes, conferences, in-agency instruction, and online training. An officer is still not required to meet continuing education requirements in the year they first become certified, and they can retire in good standing without meeting the requirements in their retirement year. The changes will become operative on January 1, 2026, giving law enforcement agencies and officers time to prepare for the new requirements.

Justice

https://nebraskalegislature.gov/bills/view_bill.php?DocumentID=59137