HTML Raw Codes HOUSE BILL NO. 417 – Idaho State LegislatureHOUSE BILL NO. 417 – County sheriff, qualifications



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1998 Legislation
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HOUSE BILL NO. 417

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H0417........................................................by MR. SPEAKER
                Requested by: Idaho Association of Counties
COUNTY SHERIFFS - QUALIFICATIONS - Amends existing law to provide minimum
qualifications to run for county sheriffNext Document.

01/12    House intro - 1st rdg - to printing
01/12    Rpt prt - to Jud

Bill Text


H0417

                                                                        
 ||||              LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO             ||||
Fifty-fourth Legislature                 Second Regular Session - 1998
                                                                        

                             IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 417

                                      BY MR. SPEAKER
                       Requested by: Idaho Association of Counties

 1                                        AN ACT
 2    RELATING TO QUALIFICATIONS FOR SHERIFF; AMENDING SECTION 19-5109, IDAHO  CODE,
 3        TO PROVIDE FOR A LEVEL OF TRAINING FOR COUNTY SHERIFFS; AND AMENDING CHAP-
 4        TER  22,  TITLE  31, IDAHO CODE, BY THE ADDITION OF A NEW SECTION 31-2208,
 5        IDAHO CODE, TO PROVIDE FOR QUALIFICATIONS TO RUN FOR THE OFFICE OF  COUNTY
 6        SHERIFF.

 7    Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:

 8        SECTION  1.  That  Section 19-5109, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby
 9    amended to read as follows:

10        19-5109.  POWERS OF THE COUNCIL -- STANDARDS OF  TRAINING,  EDUCATION  AND
11    EMPLOYMENT  OF  PEACE  OFFICERS -- CERTIFICATION -- PENALTIES. (a) It shall be
12    the duty of and the council shall have the power:
13        (1)  To establish the requirements of minimum basic training  which  peace
14        officers  shall  complete in order to be eligible for permanent employment
15        as peace officers, and the time within which such basic training  must  be
16        completed.
17        (2)  To establish the requirements of minimum education and training stan-
18        dards  for employment as a peace officer in probationary, temporary, part-
19        time, and/or emergency positions.
20        (3)  To establish the length of time a peace officer may serve in a proba-
21        tionary, temporary, and/or emergency position.
22        (4)  To approve, deny approval or revoke the approval of  any  institution
23        or  school  established  by  the state or any political subdivision or any
24        other party for the training of peace officers.
25        (5)  To establish the minimum requirements of  courses  of  study,  atten-
26        dance,  equipment,  facilities of all approved schools, and the scholastic
27        requirement, experience  and  training  of  instructors  at  all  approved
28        schools.
29        (6)  To  establish  such  other requirements for employment, retention and
30        promotion of peace officers, including minimum age,  physical  and  mental
31        standards, citizenship, moral character, experience and such other matters
32        as relate to the competence and reliability of peace officers.
33        (7)  To certify peace officers as having completed all requirements estab-
34        lished  by the council in order to be eligible for permanent employment as
35        peace officers in this state.
36        (8)  To receive and file for record copies of merit regulations  or  local
37        ordinances passed by any political subdivision.
38        (9)  To  maintain  permanent  files and transcripts for all peace officers
39        certified by the council to include  any  additional  courses  or  advance
40        courses of instruction successfully completed by such peace officers while
41        employed in this state.
42        (10)  To  receive applications for financial assistance from the state and
43        from political subdivisions and disburse  available  state  funds  to  the


                                      2

 1        state  and  to  political  subdivisions  for salaries and allowable living
 2        expenses or any part thereof, as authorized by the council, incurred while
 3        in attendance at approved training programs and schools. The annual  reim-
 4        bursements authorized by this section shall not exceed the funds available
 5        for such purpose and authorized by section 31-3201B, Idaho Code.
 6        (11)  To  allow  a  police  officer of a federally recognized Indian tribe
 7        within the boundaries of this state to attend the peace officer  standards
 8        and  training  academy  if  said police officer meets minimum physical and
 9        educational requirements of the academy. The Indian tribal law enforcement
10        agency shall reimburse the peace officer standards  and  training  academy
11        for  the  officer's  training.  Upon  satisfactory completion of the peace
12        officer standards and training academy, the tribal  police  officer  shall
13        receive a certificate of satisfactorily completing the academy.
14        (b)  After  January  1,  1974,  any  peace  officer  as defined in section
15    19-5101(d), Idaho Code, employed after  January  1,  1974,  except    any
16    elected  official,  any deputy sheriff working as a detention officer in
17    the county jail, or serving civil process, the  superintendent  of  the  Idaho
18    state  police, or any person serving under a temporary commission with any law
19    enforcement agency in times of natural or man-caused disaster declared  to  be
20    an  emergency  by  the board of county commissioners or by the governor of the
21    state of Idaho, or those peace officers whose  primary  duties  involve  motor
22    vehicle  parking  and  animal control pursuant to city or county ordinance, or
23    any peace officer acting under a special deputy commission from the department
24    of law enforcement, shall be certified by the council within one (1)  year  of
25    employment  ;   . After January 1, 2000, county sheriffs shall
26    meet the provisions set forth in section 31-2208,  Idaho  Code.    
27    provided,  however, that t  T he council may establish crite-
28    ria different than that required of other peace officers for certification  of
29    city  police  chiefs  ,  county  sheriffs  or administrators within
30    state agencies having law enforcement powers, who, because of  the  number  of
31    full-time  peace  officers  they  supervise,  have  duties which are primarily
32    administrative.  Any such  chief  of  police  or  state  agency  administrator
33    employed in such capacity prior to July 1, 1987, shall be exempt from certifi-
34    cation.
35        (c)  No  peace  officer  shall  have  or exercise any power granted by any
36    statute of this state to peace officers unless such  person  shall  have  been
37    certified  by the council within one (1) year of the date upon which such per-
38    son commenced employment as a peace officer, except in cases where  the  coun-
39    cil,  for  good  cause and in writing, has granted additional time to complete
40    such training. The council may decertify any officer who pleads guilty  or  is
41    found guilty, regardless of the form of judgment or withheld judgment of:
42        (1)  Any  felony  or  offense which would be a felony if committed in this
43        state;
44        (2)  Any misdemeanor;
45        (3)  Any unlawful use, possession, sale or delivery of any controlled sub-
46        stance; or who
47        (4)  Willfully or otherwise falsifies or omits any information  to  obtain
48        any certified status; or who
49        (5)  Violates  any  of  the  standards  of  conduct  as established by the
50        council's code of ethics, as adopted and amended by the council.
51        All proceedings taken by the council shall  be  done  in  accordance  with
52    chapter 52, title 67, Idaho Code.
53        (d)  Any  law  enforcement  agency as defined in section 19-5101(c), Idaho
54    Code, in which any peace officer shall resign as a result of any  disciplinary
55    action  or  in which a peace officer's employment is terminated as a result of


                                      3

 1    any disciplinary action, shall, within thirty (30) days of such action, make a
 2    report to the council.
 3        (e)  The council shall, pursuant to  the  requirements  of  this  section,
 4    establish minimum basic training and certification standards for county deten-
 5    tion  officers  that  can  be completed within one (1) year of employment as a
 6    county detention officer.

 7        SECTION 2.  That Chapter 22, Title 31, Idaho Code, be,  and  the  same  is
 8    hereby  amended  by  the addition thereto of a  NEW SECTION , to be
 9    known and designated as Section 31-2208, Idaho Code, and to read as follows:

10        31-2208.  QUALIFICATIONS FOR THE OFFICE OF SHERIFF.  (1)  The  legislature
11    declares  it  to  be  in the best interests of the citizens of this state that
12    qualifications and standards for the office of sheriff be determined  and  set
13    so  as to improve both the capabilities and level of training of those persons
14    who hold the office of sheriff. With the increase of  crime  continuing  as  a
15    major  social  problem in this state, and with the understanding that sheriffs
16    are the primary law enforcement officers of the counties of this state, it  is
17    declared  to  be  the intent of the legislature that proper qualifications and
18    standards be required of the persons holding the offices of sheriff so  as  to
19    increase  the  effectiveness and capabilities of the sheriffs of this state as
20    law enforcement officers.
21        (2)  After January 1, 2000, no person, either elected or appointed,  shall
22    be eligible to qualify for the office of sheriff who does not meet the follow-
23    ing criteria at the time he assumes the office of sheriff:
24        (a)  Is a citizen of the United States;
25        (b)  Is a registered voter;
26        (c)  Is  twenty-one  (21)  years  of age or older prior to the date of his
27        qualifying for election to the office;
28        (d)  Has at least four (4) years experience as a full-time peace officer;
29        (e)  Has prior certification by Idaho peace officer standards and training
30        (POST) as a peace officer subject to the provisions of section 19-5109(c),
31        Idaho Code, or is eligible for certification by  Idaho  POST  as  a  peace
32        officer.

Statement of Purpose / Fiscal Impact


    





                         STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
                               RS 07323
                                   
    
    The purpose of this legislation is to provide for minimal qualifications for the office of 
    sheriff. Currently, there are no requirements for the office of sheriff, not even a criminal 
    background check. The Idaho Sheriffs' Association feels it is time to ensure that sheriffs have 
    certain primary law enforcement experience and do not have criminal backgrounds.
    
    FISCAL IMPACT
    
    There is no fiscal impact to the state or its political subdivisions.
    
    CONTACT: Idaho Association of Counties 345-9126
             Dan Chadwick, Tony Poinelli, Lorna Jorgensen
    
    STATEMENT OF PURPOSE/FISCAL IMPACT
    
    H 417