Bill > S1427

Introduced Session

This bill requires that prior to appointment, candidates for positions as municipal, county, and campus law enforcement officers, as well as sheriff's officers, submit to a psychological evaluation. The bill defines a "psychological evaluation" as an oral interview and at least one professionally recognized clinical test developed by a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist to determine that the candidate or officer is free from any emotional or mental condition which may adversely affect the performance of law enforcement duties, including but not limited to implicit bias. These law enforcement officers also would be required to submit to a second psychological evaluation at the conclusion of the probationary period and then every five years thereafter. In addition, the bill permits "fitness-for-duty" evaluations with reason or for cause. The purpose of these evaluations is to determine if the officer remains able to carry out the officer's law enforcement duties. Reason or cause is established if an officer engages in conduct that poses a danger to the officer or another person. The conduct may include drug or alcohol abuse, acts of violence, abuse of authority or receipt of a disproportionate number of citizen complaints against the officer. The bill provides that law enforcement officers are entitled to review the results of any psychological evaluations performed on them and that they have the right to hire a psychiatrist or licensed psychologist of their choice to review the evaluations. Officers terminated based on the results of a psychological examination would be entitled to an ordinary disability retirement allowance. Under current law, ordinary disability retirement is granted to law enforcement officers under the age of 55 with four or more years of service who cannot perform their duties or any other available duties due to a certified mental or physical incapacitation that is likely to be permanent. Under the bill, psychiatrists and licensed psychologists who act in good faith and in accordance with currently accepted medical standards in performing the required evaluations would not be held civilly liable with respect to these evaluations. The bill further requires the Attorney General to promulgate rules and regulations governing the psychological evaluations of law enforcement officers. The rules are to include a list of licensed psychiatrists or psychologists who the Attorney General has deemed qualified to administer the evaluations. Although many police departments currently require police officer candidates to pass a psychological test, there is no statutory law that imposes this requirement. Under the bill, all police departments, including those that currently do not require these evaluations, would be required to psychologically test candidates. Further, every police department would be required to perform psychological evaluations of police officers after they complete initial police academy training, as well as every five years thereafter.

AI Summary

Committee Categories

Joe Cryan (D)*,  Shirley Turner (D)*, 

Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee (on 01/13/2026)

Official Document