To amend sections 109.73 and 109.79 and to enact section 109.745 of the Revised Code to require peace officer basic training programs to include training regarding persons with autism or other developmental disabilities.

Section 1. That sections 109.73 and 109.79 be amended and section 109.745 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 109.73.  (A) The Ohio peace officer training commission shall recommend rules to the attorney general with respect to all of the following:

(1) The approval, or revocation of approval, of peace officer training schools administered by the state, counties, municipal corporations, public school districts, technical college districts, and the department of natural resources;

(2) Minimum courses of study, attendance requirements, and equipment and facilities to be required at approved state, county, municipal, and department of natural resources peace officer training schools;

(3) Minimum qualifications for instructors at approved state, county, municipal, and department of natural resources peace officer training schools;

(4) The requirements of minimum basic training that peace officers appointed to probationary terms shall complete before being eligible for permanent appointment, which requirements shall include a minimum of fifteen hours of training in the handling of the offense of domestic violence, other types of domestic violence-related offenses and incidents, and protection orders and consent agreements issued or approved under section 2919.26 or 3113.31 of the Revised Code; a minimum of six hours of crisis intervention training; a minimum of three hours of training that addresses how to identify and interact with persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, how to reduce barriers to reporting crimes committed by or against persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, and the unique challenges presented by cases involving offenders, victims, or witnesses with autism or other developmental disabilities; and a specified amount of training in the handling of missing children and child abuse and neglect cases; and the time within which such basic training shall be completed following appointment to a probationary term;

(5) The requirements of minimum basic training that peace officers not appointed for probationary terms but appointed on other than a permanent basis shall complete in order to be eligible for continued employment or permanent appointment, which requirements shall include a minimum of fifteen hours of training in the handling of the offense of domestic violence, other types of domestic violence-related offenses and incidents, and protection orders and consent agreements issued or approved under section 2919.26 or 3113.31 of the Revised Code,; a minimum of six hours of crisis intervention training, and; a minimum of three hours of training that addresses how to identify and interact with persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, how to reduce barriers to reporting crimes committed by or against persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, and the unique challenges presented by cases involving offenders, victims, or witnesses with autism or other developmental disabilities; a specified amount of training in the handling of missing children and child abuse and neglect cases,; and the time within which such basic training shall be completed following appointment on other than a permanent basis;

(6) Categories or classifications of advanced in-service training programs for peace officers, including programs in the handling of the offense of domestic violence, other types of domestic violence-related offenses and incidents, and protection orders and consent agreements issued or approved under section 2919.26 or 3113.31 of the Revised Code,; in crisis intervention, and; in identifying and interacting with persons with autism or other developmental disabilities and any other topics relevant to law enforcement regarding persons with autism or other developmental disabilities; in the handling of missing children and child abuse and neglect cases,; and minimum courses of study and attendance requirements with respect to such categories or classifications;

(7) Permitting persons, who are employed as members of a campus police department appointed under section 1713.50 of the Revised Code; who are employed as police officers by a qualified nonprofit corporation police department pursuant to section 1702.80 of the Revised Code; who are appointed and commissioned as bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions police officers, as railroad police officers, or as hospital police officers pursuant to sections 4973.17 to 4973.22 of the Revised Code; or who are appointed and commissioned as amusement park police officers pursuant to section 4973.17 of the Revised Code, to attend approved peace officer training schools, including the Ohio peace officer training academy, and to receive certificates of satisfactory completion of basic training programs, if the private college or university that established the campus police department; qualified nonprofit corporation police department; bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions; railroad company; hospital; or amusement park sponsoring the police officers pays the entire cost of the training and certification and if trainee vacancies are available;

(8) Permitting undercover drug agents to attend approved peace officer training schools, other than the Ohio peace officer training academy, and to receive certificates of satisfactory completion of basic training programs, if, for each undercover drug agent, the county, township, or municipal corporation that employs that undercover drug agent pays the entire cost of the training and certification;

(9)(a) The requirements for basic training programs for bailiffs and deputy bailiffs of courts of record of this state and for criminal investigators employed by the state public defender that those persons shall complete before they may carry a firearm while on duty;

(b) The requirements for any training received by a bailiff or deputy bailiff of a court of record of this state or by a criminal investigator employed by the state public defender prior to June 6, 1986, that is to be considered equivalent to the training described in division (A)(9)(a) of this section.

(10) Establishing minimum qualifications and requirements for certification for dogs utilized by law enforcement agencies;

(11) Establishing minimum requirements for certification of persons who are employed as correction officers in a full-service jail, five-day facility, or eight-hour holding facility or who provide correction services in such a jail or facility;

(12) Establishing requirements for the training of agents of a county humane society under section 1717.06 of the Revised Code, including, without limitation, a requirement that the agents receive instruction on traditional animal husbandry methods and training techniques, including customary owner-performed practices.

(B) The commission shall appoint an executive director, with the approval of the attorney general, who shall hold office during the pleasure of the commission. The executive director shall perform such duties assigned by the commission. The executive director shall receive a salary fixed pursuant to Chapter 124. of the Revised Code and reimbursement for expenses within the amounts available by appropriation. The executive director may appoint officers, employees, agents, and consultants as the executive director considers necessary, prescribe their duties, and provide for reimbursement of their expenses within the amounts available for reimbursement by appropriation and with the approval of the commission.

(C) The commission may do all of the following:

(1) Recommend studies, surveys, and reports to be made by the executive director regarding the carrying out of the objectives and purposes of sections 109.71 to 109.77 of the Revised Code;

(2) Visit and inspect any peace officer training school that has been approved by the executive director or for which application for approval has been made;

(3) Make recommendations, from time to time, to the executive director, the attorney general, and the general assembly regarding the carrying out of the purposes of sections 109.71 to 109.77 of the Revised Code;

(4) Report to the attorney general from time to time, and to the governor and the general assembly at least annually, concerning the activities of the commission;

(5) Establish fees for the services the commission offers under sections 109.71 to 109.79 of the Revised Code, including, but not limited to, fees for training, certification, and testing;

(6) Perform such other acts as are necessary or appropriate to carry out the powers and duties of the commission as set forth in sections 109.71 to 109.77 of the Revised Code.

(D) In establishing the requirements, under division (A)(12) of this section, the commission may consider any portions of the curriculum for instruction on the topic of animal husbandry practices, if any, of the Ohio state university college of veterinary medicine. No person or entity that fails to provide instruction on traditional animal husbandry methods and training techniques, including customary owner-performed practices, shall qualify to train a humane agent for appointment under section 1717.06 of the Revised Code.

Sec. 109.745. The attorney general shall adopt, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code or pursuant to section 109.74 of the Revised Code, rules governing the training of peace officers regarding identifying and interacting with persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, reducing barriers to reporting crimes committed by or against persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, and addressing the unique challenges presented by cases involving offenders, victims, or witnesses with autism or other developmental disabilities. The rules shall specify three or more hours of training of that nature for the satisfactory completion of basic training programs at approved peace officer training schools, other than the Ohio peace officer training academy.

Sec. 109.79.  (A) The Ohio peace officer training commission shall establish and conduct a training school for law enforcement officers of any political subdivision of the state or of the state public defender's office. The school shall be known as the Ohio peace officer training academy. No bailiff or deputy bailiff of a court of record of this state and no criminal investigator employed by the state public defender shall be permitted to attend the academy for training unless the employing court of the bailiff or deputy bailiff or the state public defender, whichever is applicable, has authorized the bailiff, deputy bailiff, or investigator to attend the academy.

The Ohio peace officer training commission shall develop the training program, which shall include courses in both the civil and criminal functions of law enforcement officers,; a course in crisis intervention with six or more hours of training, and; training in the handling of missing children and child abuse and neglect cases, and; and a minimum of three hours of training that addresses how to identify and interact with persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, how to reduce barriers to reporting crimes committed by or against persons with autism or other developmental disabilities, and the unique challenges presented by cases involving offenders, victims, or witnesses with autism or other developmental disabilities.

The Ohio peace officer training commission shall establish rules governing qualifications for admission to the academy. The commission may require competitive examinations to determine fitness of prospective trainees, so long as the examinations or other criteria for admission to the academy are consistent with the provisions of Chapter 124. of the Revised Code.

The Ohio peace officer training commission shall determine tuition costs sufficient in the aggregate to pay the costs of operating the academy. The costs of acquiring and equipping the academy shall be paid from appropriations made by the general assembly to the Ohio peace officer training commission for that purpose, from gifts or grants received for that purpose, or from fees for goods related to the academy.

The law enforcement officers, during the period of their training, shall receive compensation as determined by the political subdivision that sponsors them or, if the officer is a criminal investigator employed by the state public defender, as determined by the state public defender. The political subdivision may pay the tuition costs of the law enforcement officers they sponsor and the state public defender may pay the tuition costs of criminal investigators of that office who attend the academy.

If trainee vacancies exist, the academy may train and issue certificates of satisfactory completion to peace officers who are employed by a campus police department pursuant to section 1713.50 of the Revised Code, by a qualified nonprofit corporation police department pursuant to section 1702.80 of the Revised Code, or by a railroad company, who are amusement park police officers appointed and commissioned by a judge of the appropriate municipal court or county court pursuant to section 4973.17 of the Revised Code, or who are bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions, or hospital police officers appointed and commissioned by the secretary of state pursuant to sections 4973.17 to 4973.22 of the Revised Code, provided that no such officer shall be trained at the academy unless the officer meets the qualifications established for admission to the academy and the qualified nonprofit corporation police department; bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions; railroad company; hospital; or amusement park or the private college or university that established the campus police department prepays the entire cost of the training. A qualified nonprofit corporation police department; bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions; railroad company; hospital; or amusement park or a private college or university that has established a campus police department is not entitled to reimbursement from the state for any amount paid for the cost of training the bank, savings and loan association, savings bank, credit union, or association of banks, savings and loan associations, savings banks, or credit unions peace officers; the railroad company's peace officers; or the peace officers of the qualified nonprofit corporation police department, campus police department, hospital, or amusement park.

The academy shall permit investigators employed by the state medical board to take selected courses that the board determines are consistent with its responsibilities for initial and continuing training of investigators as required under sections 4730.26 and 4731.05 of the Revised Code. The board shall pay the entire cost of training that investigators receive at the academy.

(B) As used in this section:

(1) "Law enforcement officers" include any undercover drug agent, any bailiff or deputy bailiff of a court of record, and any criminal investigator who is employed by the state public defender.

(2) "Undercover drug agent" means any person who:

(a) Is employed by a county, township, or municipal corporation for the purposes set forth in division (B)(2)(b) of this section but who is not an employee of a county sheriff's department, of a township constable, or of the police department of a municipal corporation or township;

(b) In the course of the person's employment by a county, township, or municipal corporation, investigates and gathers information pertaining to persons who are suspected of violating Chapter 2925. or 3719. of the Revised Code, and generally does not wear a uniform in the performance of the person's duties.

(3) "Crisis intervention training" has the same meaning as in section 109.71 of the Revised Code.

(4) "Missing children" has the same meaning as in section 2901.30 of the Revised Code.

Section 2. That existing sections 109.73 and 109.79 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.