HB 1712 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Law-enforcement agencies and officers; establishing training curriculum on certain arrests.

Summary

Department of Criminal Justice Services; training curriculum on certain arrests. Requires the Department of Criminal Justice Services to establish a training curriculum for law-enforcement agencies, law-enforcement officers, and special conservators of the peace on the discretion such officers can exercise regarding certain arrests. The bill requires that such training curriculum be created by July 1, 2027, and include (i) instruction on the scope and nature of law-enforcement officer discretion in arrest decisions, with particular emphasis on encounters with individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, including individuals currently subject to an emergency custody order, a temporary detention order, or an involuntary admission order, and (ii) instruction on the immediate and long-term effects of arrests on individuals in need of mental health services due to a mental health crisis, including impacts on treatment outcomes as identified in substantially accepted peer-reviewed research literature. The bill requires any person employed as a law-enforcement officer prior to July 1, 2027, to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum by January 1, 2028, and any person employed as a law-enforcement officer on or after July 1, 2027, to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum within one year of his date of hire. Lastly, the bill directs the Criminal Justice Services Board to promulgate regulations pursuant to relevant law requiring special conservators of the peace to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum established by the bill by July 1, 2027. The bill requires any person applying for an initial or renewal registration as a special conservator of the peace on or after July 1, 2027 to review any course material or course criteria related to such curriculum as part of his compulsory training standards.As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Behavioral Health Commission. This bill is identical to SB 1194.

Issues: ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

Signed into Law

Apr 2025

Introduced Jan 4, 2025 Signed Apr 2, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons

What changed between versions

Governor Substitute → Chaptered · 6 edits

MODERATE

This bill converts a Governor's substitute bill into law, formally enacting new training requirements for law enforcement officers in Virginia. The changes add specific curriculum mandates covering topics like crisis intervention, implicit bias, human trafficking recognition, and communication with individuals with intellectual disabilities, while also establishing deadlines for when these training standards must be implemented.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include new mandatory training topics for law enforcement officers, including specific provisions for individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, and crisis intervention training. It also establishes a timeline for implementation with different requirements for officers hired before and after July 1, 2027.

REQUIREMENT

Added new training requirements for law enforcement officers to recognize and communicate with individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder, including behavioral recognition and de-escalation techniques.

Added mandatory training on crisis intervention for law enforcement officers, requiring instruction on encounters with individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Added training requirements for recognizing and reporting human trafficking instances across various security roles including hotel staff and security officers.

Modified existing training standards to include additional topics such as implicit bias awareness, systemic racism, and communication with individuals experiencing mental health crises.

Added requirements for training on the lawful use of force and de-escalation techniques for all law enforcement officers.

TIMELINE

Established implementation deadlines requiring law enforcement officers to complete new curriculum review by January 1, 2028, with different requirements for officers hired before and after July 1, 2027.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 14, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 4, 2025

How they voted

36–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 40

Feb 14, 2025

D Democratic21

21 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

15 Yea 4

78% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Apr 2, 2025

Signed into law

Governor's recommendation adopted

executive

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Senate concurred in Governor's recommendation (40-Y 0-N)

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Lower · Passed

House concurred in Governor's recommendation (90-Y 5-N)

lower

Mar 24, 2025

Vetoed

Governor's recommendation received by House

executive

Mar 10, 2025

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Mar 7, 2025

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB1712ER)

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Lower · Passed

Conference report agreed to by House (60-Y 39-N)

lower

Feb 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

Conference report agreed to by Senate (40-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 22, 2025

Legislature · Passed

Amended by conference committee

legislature

Feb 19, 2025

Committee

Senate requested conference committee

upper

Feb 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate with substitute (39-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 5, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (56-Y 41-N)

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Appropriations (14-Y 8-N)

lower

Jan 30, 2025

Committee

Assigned Approps sub: Transportation & Public Safety

lower

Jan 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from Courts of Justice with substitute and referred to Appropriations (16-Y 6-N)

lower

Jan 21, 2025

Committee

Assigned Courts sub: Criminal

lower

Jan 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee for Courts of Justice

lower

1 primary · 4 co-sponsors