Animal Control Officer Standards Act.

Existing law, the Code Enforcement Officer Standards Act, requires the Board of Directors of the California Association of Code Enforcement Officers to develop and maintain standards for the designation of Certified Code Enforcement Officers, and to designate minimum training, qualifications, and experience requirements for applicants to qualify for that designation. Existing law imposes the responsibility for enforcing animal-related laws upon municipal or county animal control agencies. This bill would create the Animal Control Officer Standards Act (the act) . The act would require the California Animal Welfare Association (CAWA) to develop and maintain standards for a program to certify animal control officers. The bill would require the board of directors of the CAWA to adopt rules, after receiving specified input, setting forth the minimum training and experience requirements necessary for an applicant to qualify as a certified animal control officer (CACO) . The act would also establish minimum standards to become a CACO, including completing at least 20 hours of a course of training in animal care and at least 40 hours of a course of training in state laws relating to the powers and duties of an animal control officer. The bill would exempt from the initial certification training requirement applicants who have successfully completed that training within the previous 10 years of the applicant's employment as an animal control officer and completed that training prior to January 1, 2020. The bill would require the board to set and impose fees for the services provided by the board pursuant to the act, to require a CACO to be currently or previously employed within the past 3 years in an animal control officer job classification in California, and to create an investigative and disciplinary process, as specified.