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    Act 59

    Act 59 of 2020, signed into law on July 14, 2020, establishes procedures for municipal police officer mental health evaluations and mandatory training updates.

    Mental health evaluations

    This legislation provides for mental health evaluations of Municipal Officers in three circumstances:

    • When an officer requests an evaluation
    • When a Chief of Police refers an officer
    • When an officer uses lethal force

    Officers who are evaluated and determined to have symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) must be placed on administrative duty until they are cleared to resume full duties.  Officers who refuse to undergo the required evaluation will be placed on administrative duty until they are evaluated.  The temporary regulations for this program were published on March 20, 2021, and went into effect on July 14, 2021.  The form used by mental health professionals is available in the Forms Library or can be downloaded here: MPO-214 Post Traumatic Stress Evaluation Form. 

    Mandatory training

    The Act further establishes new training requirements for municipal police officers that will result in development of new annual, biennial, and basic training curriculum.  All municipal police officers will now receive mandatory annual training in the use of force, de-escalation techniques, and harm reduction techniques.  The implementation of this training is currently in development but is expected to merge with existing firearms qualifications in the future.  Officers will also receive training every other year in community and cultural awareness, implicit bias, procedural justice, and reconciliation techniques.  This training will be incorporated into the mandatory in-service training courses developed by the Commission starting in 2022.  Because both the annual and biennial training is mandatory, and officers must complete the training provided by the Commission, municipal departments should be aware that officers who attend elective (CLEE or other) courses on these topics will still be required to complete the mandatory Commission courses.  

    The last area of training addressed by the Act is basic training.  The basic training curriculum will be revised to include training on topics such as interacting with individuals of diverse racial, ethnic, and economic backgrounds, recognizing and reporting child abuse, and recognizing and interacting with individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder.  These revisions are expected to be completed in 2021 and will be included in all basic training conducted after January 1, 2022.  

    Please continue to monitor this page for more information about Act 59.  See Act of Jul. 14, 2020, P.L. 624, No. 59. (2020).