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House File 401 - IntroducedA Bill ForAn Act 1relating to a law enforcement agency providing
2annual training to law enforcement officers relating to
3de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias.
4BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 80B.11G, Code 2023, is amended to read
2as follows:
380B.11G Annual training — de-escalation techniques and
4prevention of bias.
51. A law enforcement agency shall provide annual training
6to every law enforcement officer on issues relating to
7 de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias. Every law
8enforcement officer in the state must participate in annual
9training in accordance with this section.
102. The academy shall develop and disseminate training
11guidelines for all law enforcement officers consistent with
12best practice guidelines.
133. Every law enforcement officer shall adhere to the
14training guidelines developed by the academy pursuant to this
15section. The training guidelines shall include all of the
16following:
17a. An emphasis on law enforcement officer understanding
18and respect for diverse communities and the importance of
19effective, noncombative methods of carrying out law enforcement
20activities in a diverse community.
21b. Instruction on diverse communities in order to foster
22mutual respect and cooperation between law enforcement and
23members of all diverse communities.
24c. An examination of the patterns, practices, and protocols
25that cause biased law enforcement actions, and the tools to
26prevent such actions.
27d. An examination and identification of key indices and
28perspectives that make up differences among residents in a
29local community.
30e. Instruction on implicit bias and consideration of the
31negative impact of bias, whether intentional or implicit,
32on effective law enforcement, including examination of how
33historical perceptions of profiling have harmed community
34relations.
35f. Instruction on the perspectives of diverse local
-1-1constituency groups from experts on particular cultural and law
2enforcement-community relations issues in a local area.
3g. A presentation of the history and the role of the civil
4rights movement and the impact on law enforcement.
5h. b. Instruction on de-escalation techniques, including
6verbal and physical tactics to minimize the need for the use of
7force and nonlethal methods of applying force.
84. In developing the training guidelines, the academy shall
9consult with the Iowa civil rights commission, groups and
10individuals having an interest and expertise in the field of
11cultural awareness and diversity, and advocacy organizations
12with an interest and expertise in the field of biased law
13enforcement actions. The academy shall also consult with local
14law enforcement agencies to consider challenges and barriers to
15providing training under the guidelines and methods to ease the
16burden on such agencies.
17EXPLANATION
18The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
19the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
20This bill relates to a law enforcement agency providing
21annual training to law enforcement officers relating to
22de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias.
23Current law requires a law enforcement agency to provide
24annual training to every law enforcement officer on issues
25relating to de-escalation techniques and the prevention of
26bias.
27The bill removes the requirement that annual training for
28law enforcement officers include training relating to the
29prevention of bias, instruction on diverse communities, causes
30of biased law enforcement actions, instruction on implicit
31bias, and the history and the role of the civil rights movement
32and the impact on law enforcement.
-2-as/rh
2annual training to law enforcement officers relating to
3de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias.
4BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
1 Section 1. Section 80B.11G, Code 2023, is amended to read
2as follows:
380B.11G Annual training — de-escalation techniques and
4prevention of bias.
51. A law enforcement agency shall provide annual training
6to every law enforcement officer on issues relating to
7 de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias. Every law
8enforcement officer in the state must participate in annual
9training in accordance with this section.
102. The academy shall develop and disseminate training
11guidelines for all law enforcement officers consistent with
12best practice guidelines.
133. Every law enforcement officer shall adhere to the
14training guidelines developed by the academy pursuant to this
15section. The training guidelines shall include all of the
16following:
17a. An emphasis on law enforcement officer understanding
18and respect for diverse communities and the importance of
19effective, noncombative methods of carrying out law enforcement
20activities in a diverse community.
21b. Instruction on diverse communities in order to foster
22mutual respect and cooperation between law enforcement and
23members of all diverse communities.
24c. An examination of the patterns, practices, and protocols
25that cause biased law enforcement actions, and the tools to
26prevent such actions.
27d. An examination and identification of key indices and
28perspectives that make up differences among residents in a
29local community.
30e. Instruction on implicit bias and consideration of the
31negative impact of bias, whether intentional or implicit,
32on effective law enforcement, including examination of how
33historical perceptions of profiling have harmed community
34relations.
35f. Instruction on the perspectives of diverse local
-1-1constituency groups from experts on particular cultural and law
2enforcement-community relations issues in a local area.
3g. A presentation of the history and the role of the civil
4rights movement and the impact on law enforcement.
5h. b. Instruction on de-escalation techniques, including
6verbal and physical tactics to minimize the need for the use of
7force and nonlethal methods of applying force.
84. In developing the training guidelines, the academy shall
9consult with the Iowa civil rights commission, groups and
10individuals having an interest and expertise in the field of
11cultural awareness and diversity, and advocacy organizations
12with an interest and expertise in the field of biased law
13enforcement actions. The academy shall also consult with local
14law enforcement agencies to consider challenges and barriers to
15providing training under the guidelines and methods to ease the
16burden on such agencies.
17EXPLANATION
18The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with
19the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.
20This bill relates to a law enforcement agency providing
21annual training to law enforcement officers relating to
22de-escalation techniques and the prevention of bias.
23Current law requires a law enforcement agency to provide
24annual training to every law enforcement officer on issues
25relating to de-escalation techniques and the prevention of
26bias.
27The bill removes the requirement that annual training for
28law enforcement officers include training relating to the
29prevention of bias, instruction on diverse communities, causes
30of biased law enforcement actions, instruction on implicit
31bias, and the history and the role of the civil rights movement
32and the impact on law enforcement.
-2-as/rh