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POST details tribal police pilot under AB 134; DOJ to select up to three tribes
Summary
POST staff briefed commissioners on Assembly Bill 134, a three-year tribal police pilot that will allow selected tribal officers to obtain California peace-officer status subject to certification, background, training and transparency requirements; applications due Jan. 9, 2026.
Legal Affairs Bureau attorney summarized Assembly Bill 134 — a pilot program signed into law that allows up to three federally recognized tribes to participate in a limited tribal police pilot that provides some tribal officers with California peace-officer status within their tribal jurisdictions and limited powers outside those jurisdictions. The law took effect this summer and the pilot period would operate July 2026–July 2029.
Attorney Bridal Henley explained the statutory conditions: participating tribes must adopt transparency measures analogous to California’s Public Records Act, agree to limited waivers of sovereign immunity for covered conduct, and ensure officers meet background, minimum-qualification and certification requirements (including obtaining a basic certification within a timeline set by the law). The Department of Justice will lead selection of up to three tribes; POST will co-oversee compliance and training standards and will assist in outreach. Henley said about 10 tribes participated in early listening sessions and that selected tribes will have a January–June 2026 period to adopt required laws and policies before officers are authorized to operate under the pilot.
Commissioners and advisory committee members raised operational questions about field training, jurisdictional interplay with county sheriffs and chiefs, applicability of tribal vs state law in major crimes, and how POST would audit compliance. POST staff said the Department of Justice will lead selection and coordinate background and training oversight. A rollout of updated PL 280 training and a self-paced module was also discussed.
Why it matters: AB 134 enacts a state-directed pilot to expand limited peace-officer authority to tribal police under state oversight, with implications for jurisdiction, transparency, and law-enforcement resources on tribal lands.
What’s next: Tribes interested in applying have until Jan. 9, 2026; DOJ and POST will notify selected tribes and oversee adoption of required laws and training ahead of the pilot start in July 2026.
