Nebraska § 81-1414.07 - Continuing education requirements; course offerings; applicability.

§ 81-1414.07. Continuing education requirements; course offerings; applicability.

(1)(a) In order to maintain his or her professional status and serve the law enforcement profession, the community, and the residents of Nebraska, each law enforcement officer shall attend continuing education courses in the areas of criminal justice and law enforcement as provided in this section.

(b) A law enforcement officer is not required to meet the continuing education requirements in the year in which he or she first becomes fully certified.

(c) A law enforcement officer may retire from service in good standing without meeting the continuing education requirements in the calendar year of the officer's retirement.

(d) The requirements of this section do not apply to a noncertified conditional officer.

(2)(a) Each calendar year, a law enforcement officer shall attend at least:

(i) For a law enforcement officer employed by a law enforcement agency that employs less than twenty-five full-time law enforcement officers, twenty-four hours of continuing education; and

(ii) For a law enforcement officer employed by a law enforcement agency that employs twenty-five or more full-time law enforcement officers, thirty-two hours of continuing education.

(b) Such annual continuing education shall include:

(i) A refresher course on de-escalation;

(ii) A minimum of two hours of anti-bias and implicit bias training;

(iii) Firearms training;

(iv) Officer wellness training;

(v) Legal update training, including, but not limited to, legislative changes and First Amendment and Fourth Amendment issues; and

(vi) Any other training as determined by a law enforcement agency.

(3)(a) At least once in each three-calendar-year period, a law enforcement officer shall attend continuing education that includes:

(i) Refresher courses on mental health and substance abuse issues; and

(ii) A review of vehicular pursuit policies.

(b) The continuing education hours required by this subsection are counted for purposes of the required hours under subsection (2) of this section.

(4) Continuing education courses may be offered in the form of seminars, advanced education which may include college or university classes, conferences, instruction conducted within the law enforcement officer's law enforcement agency, or instruction conducted over the Internet. Continuing education shall be of a type which has application to and seeks to maintain and improve the skills of the law enforcement officer in carrying out his or her duties and responsibilities.