Pennsylvania § 7428 - Deputy sheriff training requirement.

§ 7428. Deputy sheriff training requirement.

(a) General rule.--A sheriff of this Commonwealth shall assure that each full-time or part-time deputy employed by the sheriff who has less than five years of experience on August 9, 1984, receives the training provided for in sections 7425 (relating to training program) and 7426 (relating to continuing education).

(a.1) Diploma.--No person shall be employed or appointed as a deputy sheriff unless the person is a high school graduate or has received a secondary school diploma on the basis of general education development (GED).

(b) Prior education, training or experience.--The board, with the review and approval of the commission, may reduce the hours of education and training required in section 7425 for deputy sheriffs required to receive education and training who, because of prior education, training or experience, have acquired knowledge or skill equivalent to that provided by the program.

(c) Certification requirement for continued compensation.--

(1) Any person hired as a full-time or part-time deputy sheriff who has less than five years of experience on August 9, 1984, shall, as of August 9, 1986, be ineligible to receive any salary, compensation or other consideration or thing of value for the performance of duties as a deputy sheriff unless the deputy sheriff has met all of the requirements established under this chapter and has been duly certified as having met those requirements by the board, with the review and approval of the commission, unless the deputy sheriff is granted additional time to complete training by the board, with the review and approval of the commission.

(2) Any new deputy hired by the sheriff shall have one year in which to complete training.

(d) Continuing education.--Any full-time or part-time deputy sheriff who fails to meet and fails to be certified as having met the requirements for continuing education established by the board, with the review and approval of the commission, shall be ineligible to receive any salary, compensation or other consideration or thing of value for the performance of duties as a deputy sheriff.

(e) Penalty.--Any official of any county who orders, authorizes or pays a salary or compensation or other consideration or thing of value to any person in violation of this section commits a summary offense and shall, upon conviction, be sentenced to pay a maximum fine of $500 or to imprisonment for a term not to exceed 30 days.