AB668: Bill Text

October 29, 2021 - Introduced by Representatives Cabral-Guevara, Rozar, Andraca, Armstrong, Brandtjen, Dittrich, Gundrum, Horlacher, James, Mursau, Sortwell, Subeck, Thiesfeldt and Tusler, cosponsored by Senators Jacque and Nass. Referred to Committee on Mental Health.

AB668,1,3 An Act to create 20.455 (2) (ar), 165.846, 165.865 and 165.867 of the statutes; relating to: law enforcement officer suicide prevention and reporting and making an appropriation.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

This bill requires the Department of Justice, in cooperation with the Department of Health Services and the Center for Suicide Awareness, to establish a training curriculum designed to prevent suicide committed by law enforcement officers. The training must include the causes, behaviors, warning signs, and risk factors associated with law enforcement officer suicide, identify appropriate intervention strategies to be used by law enforcement agencies to effectively prevent law enforcement officer suicide, and provide information concerning programs that offer crisis intervention and counseling services to law enforcement officers. The bill requires that the training curriculum be made available to law enforcement agencies to be used as part of ongoing officer training. The bill also provides that DOJ must provide a $250,000 annual grant to the Center for Suicide Awareness to provide training to law enforcement officers based on the curriculum that is established.

In addition, this bill requires DOJ to collect information about law enforcement officer suicide and publish an annual report on officer suicide on the department's Internet site.

For further information see the state and local fiscal estimate, which will be printed as an appendix to this bill.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB668,1 Section 1. 20.005 (3) (schedule) of the statutes: at the appropriate place, insert the following amounts for the purposes indicated: - See PDF for table

AB668,2 Section 2. 20.455 (2) (ar) of the statutes is created to read:

AB668,2,6 20.455 (2) (ar) Law enforcement officer suicide prevention grant. The amounts in the schedule to provide a law enforcement officer suicide prevention grant under s. 165.867.

AB668,3 Section 3. 165.846 of the statutes is created to read:

AB668,2,8 165.846 Collect officer suicide data. (1) In this section:

AB668,2,9 (a) “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (bv).

AB668,2,10 (b) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c).

AB668,2,12 (2) The department of justice shall collect all of the following information concerning incidents of suicide committed by law enforcement officers:

AB668,2,14 (a) The month and year during which the law enforcement officer's death occurred.

AB668,3,2 (b) The law enforcement officer's age, salary, and length of service with the law enforcement agency at the time of the officer's death.

AB668,3,3 (c) The race and gender of the law enforcement officer.

AB668,3,4 (d) Any known facts pertaining to the cause or method of suicide.

AB668,3,5 (e) The veteran status and level of education of the law enforcement officer.

AB668,3,10 (3) The department of justice shall aggregate the data collected under sub. (2) and publish an annual report based on the aggregated data, along with the aggregated data, on the department's Internet site, for use in suicide prevention and intervention studies. The report under this subsection may not identify any law enforcement officer by name or date of birth.

AB668,3,15 (4) The department of justice shall furnish all reporting officials with forms or instructions or both that specify the nature of the information required under sub. (2), the time the information is to be forwarded, the method of classifying the information, and any other matters that facilitate collection and compilation of the information.

AB668,3,20 (5) All persons in charge of law enforcement agencies shall supply the department of justice with the information described in sub. (2) on the basis of the forms or instructions or both supplied by the department under sub. (4). The department may conduct an audit to determine the accuracy of the data and other information it receives from law enforcement agencies.

AB668,4 Section 4. 165.865 of the statutes is created to read:

AB668,3,22 165.865 Law enforcement officer suicide prevention. (1) In this section:

AB668,3,23 (a) “Law enforcement agency” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (bv).

AB668,3,24 (b) “Law enforcement officer” has the meaning given in s. 165.85 (2) (c).

AB668,4,5 (2) The department of justice, in consultation with the department of health services and the Center for Suicide Awareness, shall establish a training curriculum designed to prevent suicide committed by law enforcement officers. The training curriculum shall include the causes, behaviors, warning signs, and risk factors associated with law enforcement officer suicide, and shall do all of the following:

AB668,4,7 (a) Identify appropriate intervention strategies to be used by law enforcement agencies to effectively prevent law enforcement officer suicide.

AB668,4,9 (b) Provide information concerning programs that offer crisis intervention and counseling services to law enforcement officers.

AB668,4,11 (3) The curriculum established under sub. (2) shall be made available to each law enforcement agency in this state to be used as part of ongoing officer training.

AB668,5 Section 5. 165.867 of the statutes is created to read:

AB668,4,16 165.867 Law enforcement officer suicide prevention grant. The department of justice shall provide to the Center for Suicide Awareness an annual grant of $250,000 to be used to provide training to law enforcement officers on suicide prevention based on the curriculum established under s. 165.865 (2).

AB668,4,17 (End)