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Committee advances AB 400 to require statewide standards for law-enforcement K-9 units
Summary
AB 400, sponsored by Assemblymember Selena Pacheco, would make the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) canine guidelines mandatory minimum requirements for agencies with K‑9 units. The Public Safety Committee passed the bill as amended to Appropriations after supporters and opponents debated use and oversight of police dogs.
Assemblymember Selena Pacheco told the committee AB 400 would require all law enforcement agencies with K-9 units to meet statewide standards established by the Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training: "AB 400 will ensure that all law enforcement agencies are safely deploying canines and prioritizing the safety of canine handlers and the public, making California a national model on this issue," she said.
Sponsors and supporters — including Jonathan Feldman (representing the California Police Chiefs Association and PORAC) and a canine trainer from San Diego — argued standardization would improve training, accountability, and public trust by ensuring consistent use-of-force standards, minimum training hours, annual recertification, and de-escalation testing. Feldman told the committee the POST guidelines updated this year focus on use of force, minimum training requirements, and essential skills for canines and handlers.
Opponents including George Grama, legislative attorney with ACLU California Action, and Leslie Caldwell Houston of the California Public Defenders Association urged caution and, in some cases, stricter limits on dog deployments. Grama cited public records and local investigations showing serious injuries from K-9 deployments and said POST guidelines track policies from agencies with records of abuse: "Public records from the past few years show that out of the hundreds of Californians who were disfigured by police dogs, most were unarmed, about half were going through a mental health crisis, and many were suspected of no crime," he said.
Committee discussion focused on balancing standardization and reform. Members asked how often K-9 deployments result in bites or serious force; witnesses cited agency-level data showing K-9 deployments rarely involve bites but acknowledged harms when they do. Several law-enforcement groups including the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, Riverside Sheriff's Association, and many municipal police officers testified in support. Civil-rights organizations, public-defender groups, and physicians' groups urged stricter curbs or review.
The committee approved AB 400 as amended and sent it to Appropriations. The chair recommended an "aye" vote on the limited policy purpose of making POST canine guidelines mandatory baseline requirements, while acknowledging opposition concerns. Motion by Alanis, second by Lackey; roll call recorded ayes and the chair announced the bill passed the committee and will go to Appropriations.
