(a) The commission shall establish a certification program for peace officers described in Section 830.1, 830.2 with the exception of those described in subdivision (d) of that section, 830.3, 830.32, or 830.33, or any other peace officer employed by an agency that participates in the Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) program. A certificate or proof of eligibility issued pursuant to this section shall be considered the property of the commission.

(b) Basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, management, and executive certificates shall be established for the purpose of fostering professionalization, education, and experience necessary to adequately accomplish the general police service duties performed by peace officer members of city police departments, county sheriffs’ departments, districts, university and state university and college departments, or by the California Highway Patrol.

(c) (1) Certificates shall be awarded on the basis of a combination of training, education, experience, and other prerequisites, as determined by the commission.

(2) In determining whether an applicant for certification has the requisite education, the commission shall recognize as acceptable college education only the following:

(A) Education provided by a community college, college, or university that has been accredited by the department of education of the state in which the community college, college, or university is located or by a recognized national or regional accrediting body.

(B) Until January 1, 1998, educational courses or degrees provided by a nonaccredited but state-approved college that offers programs exclusively in criminal justice.

(d) Persons who are determined by the commission to be eligible peace officers may make application for the certificates, provided they are employed by an agency that participates in the POST program. Any agency appointing an individual who does not already have a basic certificate as described in subdivision (a) and who is not eligible for a certificate shall make application for proof of eligibility within 10 days of appointment.

(e) The commission shall assign each person who applies for or receives certification a unique identifier that shall be used to track certification status from application for certification through that person’s career as a peace officer.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the commission shall have the authority to suspend, revoke, or cancel any certification pursuant to this chapter. This authority extends to any certificate or proof of eligibility issued by the commission including, without limitation, any certificate or proof of eligibility that is invalid, inactive, expired, or canceled.

(g) (1) An agency that employs peace officers described in subdivision (a) shall employ as a peace officer only individuals with current, valid certification pursuant to this section, except that an agency may provisionally employ a person for up to 24 months, pending certification by the commission, provided that the person has received a proof of eligibility and has not previously been certified or denied certification or had their certification revoked.

(2) In accordance with subdivision (b) of Section 832.4, deputy sheriffs described in subdivision (c) of Section 830.1 shall obtain valid certification pursuant to this section upon reassignment from custodial duties to general law enforcement duties.

(h) (1) Notwithstanding subdivision (d), the commission shall issue a basic certificate or proof of eligibility to any peace officer described in subdivision (a) who, on January 1, 2022, is eligible for a basic certificate or proof of eligibility but has not applied for a certification.

(2) Commencing on January 1, 2023, any peace officer described in subdivision (a) who does not possess a basic certificate and who is not yet or will not be eligible for a basic certificate, shall apply to the commission for proof of eligibility.

(i) As used in this chapter, “certification” means any and all valid and unexpired certificates issued pursuant to subdivision (b), including basic, intermediate, advanced, supervisory, management, and executive certificates or any proof of eligibility issued by the commission pursuant to this section.

(Amended by Stats. 2023, Ch. 397, Sec. 1. (SB 449) Effective January 1, 2024.)