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Senate adopts requirement that Peace Officer Standards board set rules for use‑of‑force reports
Summary
Senate Bill 128 requires the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training to adopt policy defining when written reports are required for physical force by officers and sets reporting and penalty authority.
The Senate on May 13 passed legislation requiring standardized reporting when law enforcement officers use physical force, with the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training tasked to write the policy.
Senator Carter, who carried Senate Bill 128, told the chamber the bill "requires a written report when a law enforcement officer uses physical force against a member of the public" and that staff worked with state police and the sheriffs' association on the language. Carter said the policy will "determine when a use of force report is required, who shall complete it, and what's the penalty for failing to complete a report."
The floor adopted a set of technical and substantive amendments before final passage; Carter said those changes put the bill "in its proper posture" and clarified that the Council on Peace Officer Standards and Training will formulate the procedures. The amendment added the phrase "physical force, not just force" in the statutory language to ensure clarity.
Senators voted to adopt the amendments and then the bill. The clerk recorded "37 yays and 0 nays," and the bill was adopted.
If enacted, the statute will require the council to promulgate standards, and local agencies will be subject to the council's rule about when to file written reports and the consequences for failing to do so. The bill does not itself create a specific statewide database on the floor; Carter described the measure as delegating key determinations to the council and setting a reporting obligation that agencies must follow.
