Bill > AB992

This bill amends California law to establish new educational requirements for peace officers, requiring most peace officers to attain either an associate's degree, bachelor's degree, modern policing degree, or professional policing certificate within 36 months of receiving their basic certification, starting January 1, 2031. The bill allows credential evaluation services to assess the equivalency of foreign college degrees and provides exceptions for officers with significant prior law enforcement or military experience (8+ years). The new educational requirements include specific coursework in areas such as communications, psychology, writing, ethics, and criminal justice. The bill allows coursework from police academy training and military/law enforcement training to count toward these degrees or certificates. Certain groups are exempt from the new requirements, including those currently enrolled in a basic academy, officers employed by California public entities as of December 31, 2030, and those working for the State Department of State Hospitals. The legislation also removes a previous requirement for the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training to approve specific educational criteria and maintains existing standards for peace officer qualifications, such as being 18 years or older, having good moral character, and passing background checks.

Budget and Finance, Justice

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB992