(a) The officers of a state hospital under the jurisdiction of the State Department of State Hospitals or the State Department of Developmental Services appointed pursuant to Section 4313 or 4493 of the Welfare and Institutions Code, are peace officers whose authority extends to any place in the state for the purpose of performing their primary duty or when making an arrest pursuant to Section 836 as to any public offense with respect to which there is immediate danger to person or property, or of the escape of the perpetrator of that offense, or pursuant to Section 8597 or 8598 of the Government Code provided that the primary duty of the peace officers shall be the enforcement of the law as set forth in Sections 4311, 4313, 4491, and 4493 of the Welfare and Institutions Code. Those peace officers may carry firearms only if authorized and under terms and conditions specified by their employing agency.
(b) By July 1, 2015, the California Health and Human Services Agency shall develop training protocols and policies and procedures for peace officers specified in subdivision (a). When appropriate, training protocols and policies and procedures shall be uniformly implemented in both state hospitals and developmental centers. Additional training protocols and policies and procedures shall be developed to address the unique characteristics of the residents in each type of facility.
(c) In consultation with system stakeholders, the agency shall develop recommendations to further improve the quality and stability of law enforcement and investigative functions at both developmental centers and state hospitals in a meaningful and sustainable manner. These recommendations shall be submitted to the budget committees and relevant policy committees of both houses of the Legislature no later than January 10, 2015.
(Amended by Stats. 2014, Ch. 26, Sec. 14. (AB 1468) Effective June 20, 2014.)
Last modified: October 25, 2018