Peace officers.

Assembly Member Irwin's peace officer education reform legislation establishes new qualification requirements for California law enforcement officers while creating a dedicated recruitment task force. Beginning January 1, 2031, peace officers must obtain specified credentials within 36 months of receiving their basic certification, choosing from options that include an associate's or bachelor's degree, two years of military or out-of-state law enforcement experience, a modern policing degree, or a professional policing certificate.

The bill defines two new educational pathways tailored to law enforcement. A modern policing degree requires 60 semester units including coursework in communications, psychology, writing, ethics, and criminal justice. Alternatively, officers can pursue a 16-unit professional policing certificate covering the same core subjects. Credits from POST-certified academy training can count toward these requirements, though academy coursework alone cannot fulfill the professional certificate. Officers employed or enrolled in basic training as of December 31, 2030 are exempt from the new standards.

To support recruitment under these enhanced requirements, the legislation establishes a Statewide Law Enforcement Recruitment Task Force comprising representatives from sheriff's departments, police agencies, the California Highway Patrol, and other law enforcement organizations. The task force will work to identify and recruit qualified candidates while the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges develops implementation plans for the modern policing degree program, with input from law enforcement stakeholders, university representatives, and community organizations.