§ 17C-6.  Powers of Commission.

(a) In addition to powers conferred upon the Commission elsewhere in this Article, the Commission shall have the following powers, which shall be enforceable through its rules and regulations, certification procedures, or the provisions of G.S. 17C-10:

(1) Promulgate rules and regulations for the administration of this Article, which rules may require (i) the submission by any criminal justice agency of information with respect to the employment, education, retention, and training of its criminal justice officers, and (ii) the submission by any criminal justice training school of information with respect to its criminal justice training programs that are required by this Article.

(2) Establish minimum educational and training standards that must be met in order to qualify for entry level employment and retention as a criminal justice officer in temporary or probationary status or in a permanent position. The standards for entry level employment shall include all of the following:

a. Education and training in response to, and investigation of, domestic violence cases, as well as training in investigation for evidence-based prosecutions.

b. Education and training on juvenile justice issues, including (i) the handling and processing of juvenile matters for referrals, diversion, arrests, and detention; (ii) best practices for handling incidents involving juveniles; (iii) adolescent development and psychology; and (iv) promoting relationship building with youth as a key to delinquency prevention.

c. Education and training to develop knowledge and increase awareness of effective mental health and wellness strategies for criminal justice officers.

(3) Certify and recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny, pursuant to the standards that it has established for the purpose, persons as qualified under the provisions of this Article to be employed at entry level and retained as criminal justice officers.

(4) Establish minimum standards for the certification of criminal justice training schools and programs or courses of instruction that are required by this Article.

(5) Certify and recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny, pursuant to the standards that it has established for the purpose, criminal justice training schools and programs or courses of instruction that are required by this Article.

(6) Establish minimum standards and levels of education and experience for all criminal justice instructors, including instructors with probationary or limited teaching privileges, qualified assistants, in-service training coordinators, executive officers, and school directors, who participate in programs or courses of instruction that are required by this Article.

(7) Certify and recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny, pursuant to the standards that it has established for the purpose, criminal justice instructors, including instructors with probationary or limited teaching privileges, qualified assistants, in-service training coordinators, executive officers, and school directors, who participate in programs or courses of instruction that are required by this Article or are required and approved by their respective criminal justice agency to include those certified under Chapter 17E or an educational institution accredited by the Commission.

(8) Investigate and make such evaluations as may be necessary to determine if criminal justice agencies, schools, and instructors, including instructors with probationary or limited teaching privileges, qualified assistants, in-service training coordinators, executive officers, and school directors, are complying with the provisions of this Article.

(9) Adopt and amend bylaws, consistent with law, for its internal management and control.

(10) Enter into contracts incident to the administration of its authority pursuant to this Article.

(11) Establish minimum standards and levels of training for certification and periodic recertification of operators of and instructors for training programs in radio microwave, laser, and other electronic speed-measuring instruments.

(12) Certify and recertify, suspend, revoke, or deny, pursuant to the standards that it has established, operators and instructors for training programs for each approved type of radio microwave, laser, and other electronic speed-measuring instruments.

(13) In conjunction with the Secretary of Public Safety, approve use of specific models and types of radio microwave, laser, and other speed-measuring instruments and establish the procedures for operation of each approved instrument and standards for calibration and testing for accuracy of each approved instrument.

(13a) Expired effective September 30, 2007.

(14) Establish minimum standards for in-service training for criminal justice officers. In-service training standards for sworn law enforcement officers shall include all of the following training topics:

a. Response to, and investigation of, domestic violence cases, as well as training investigation for evidence-based prosecutions.

b. Juvenile justice issues, including (i) the handling and processing of juvenile matters for referrals, diversion, arrests, and detention; (ii) best practices for handling incidents involving juveniles; (iii) adolescent development and psychology; and (iv) promoting relationship building with youth as a key to delinquency prevention.

c. Training to develop knowledge and increase awareness of effective mental health and wellness strategies for justice officers. The standards established shall include two hours of training on this issue every three years.

d. Ethics.

e. Mental health for criminal justice officers.

f. Community policing.

g. Minority sensitivity.

h. Use of force.

i. The duty to intervene and report.

(15) Establish minimum standards and levels of training for certification of instructors for the domestic violence training and juvenile justice training required by subdivisions (2) and (14) of this subsection.

(16) Establish standards and guidelines for the annual firearms certification of qualified retired law enforcement officers, as defined in G.S. 14-415.10(4b), to efficiently implement the provisions of G.S. 14-415.25. The standards shall provide for the courses, qualifications, and the issuance of the annual firearms qualification certification. The Commission may adopt any rules necessary to effect the provisions of this section, and may charge a reasonable fee to applicants for the costs incurred in compliance with this subdivision.

(17) Establish minimum educational and training standards for employment and continuing education for criminal justice officers concerning:

a. Recognizing and appropriately interacting with persons who are deaf or hard of hearing.

b. Drivers license and vehicle registration identifiers of persons who are deaf or hard of hearing, as authorized by G.S. 20-7(q2), including that those identifiers are optional.

(18) Monitor compliance with G.S. 20-185.1(d).

(19) Establish minimum standards and levels of training for certification of diversion investigators and diversion supervisors, as defined in G.S. 90-113.74(i). As part of these minimum standards, the Commission shall require that certified diversion investigators receive training in the following:

a. Definition of drug diversion.

b. Categories of drugs most subject to diversion and misuse.

c. Methods used to divert drugs.

d. Proper investigation of drug diversion cases.

e. Appropriate use of the controlled substances reporting system to investigate drug diversion cases.

f. Requests of prescriptions and records related to prescriptions pursuant to G.S. 90-107.1, including best practices for working with pharmacies in a manner that minimizes disruption of customer service and pharmacy operations.

g. Data privacy and security provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) and other pertinent federal and State laws governing privacy and security of confidential data and records.

h. Proper handling of confidential data and records from any source.

i. Criminal and civil penalties under federal and State law for improperly accessing, handling, or disclosing confidential prescription data or other confidential data or records.

(20) Certify and recertify at least once every three years, suspend, revoke, or deny, pursuant to the standards that it has established for the purpose, persons as qualified to be employed at entry level and retained as diversion investigators and diversion supervisors, as defined in G.S. 90-113.74(i).

(21) Search the National Decertification Index (NDI) maintained by the International Association of Directors of Law Enforcement Standards and Training (IADLEST) using the name of every applicant for certification or applicant for lateral transfer, and any other personal identifying information necessary to complete the search, and shall utilize any record of conviction of a criminal offense received as a result of the search during the application and lateral transfer process to determine if the applicant has any record that would disqualify the applicant for certification.

(b) The Commission shall have the following powers, which shall be advisory in nature and for which the Commission is not authorized to undertake any enforcement actions:

(1) Identify types of criminal justice positions, other than entry level positions, for which advanced or specialized training and education are appropriate, and establish minimum standards for the certification of persons as being qualified for those positions on the basis of specified education, training, and experience; provided, that compliance with these minimum standards shall be discretionary on the part of criminal justice agencies with respect to their criminal justice officers;

(2) Certify, pursuant to the standards that it has established for the purpose, criminal justice officers for those criminal justice agencies that elect to comply with the minimum education, training, and experience standards established by the Commission for positions for which advanced or specialized training, education, and experience are appropriate;

(3) Consult and cooperate with counties, municipalities, agencies of this State, other governmental agencies, and with universities, colleges, junior colleges, and other institutions concerning the development of criminal justice training schools and programs or courses of instruction;

(4) Study and make reports and recommendations concerning criminal justice education and training in North Carolina;

(5) Conduct and stimulate research by public and private agencies which shall be designed to improve education and training in the administration of criminal justice;

(6) Study, obtain data, statistics, and information and make reports concerning the recruitment, selection, education, retention, and training of persons serving criminal justice agencies in this State; to make recommendations for improvement in methods of recruitment, selection, education, retention, and training of persons serving criminal justice agencies;

(7) Make recommendations concerning any matters within its purview pursuant to this Article;

(8) Appoint such advisory committees as it may deem necessary;

(9) Do such things as may be necessary and incidental to the administration of its authority pursuant to this Article;

(10) Formulate basic plans for and promote the development and improvement of a comprehensive system of education and training for the officers and employees of criminal justice agencies consistent with its rules and regulations;

(11) Maintain liaison among local, State and federal agencies with respect to criminal justice education and training;

(12) Promote the planning and development of a systematic career development program for criminal justice professionals.

(c) All decisions and rules and regulations heretofore made by the North Carolina Criminal Justice Training and Standards Council and the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training System Council shall remain in full force and effect unless and until repealed or suspended by action of the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission established herein. The present Councils are terminated on December 31, 1979, and their power, duties and responsibilities vest in the North Carolina Criminal Justice Education and Training Standards Commission effective January 1, 1980.

(d) The standards established by the Commission pursuant to G.S. 17C-6(a)(11) and 17C-6(a)(12) and by the Commission and the Secretary of Public Safety pursuant to G.S. 17C-6(a)(13) shall not be less stringent than standards established by the U.S. Department of Transportation, National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, National Bureau of Standards, or the Federal Communications Commission. (1971, c. 963, s. 6; 1975, c. 372, s. 2; 1979, c. 763, s. 1; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1184, ss. 1, 2; 1989, c. 757, s. 4; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 18, s. 2; 1995, c. 509, s. 14.1; 2000-140, s. 38.1(b); 2002-159, s. 29; 2003-280, s. 3; 2004-186, ss. 2.1, 2.3, 2.5; 2005-27, ss. 1, 2; 2007-427, s. 2; 2009-546, s. 2; 2011-145, s. 19.1(g); 2016-94, s. 18.2; 2017-57, s. 16D.4(bb); 2017-191, s. 2; 2018-5, ss. 17.1(a), 35.25(d); 2018-44, s. 14(a); 2018-142, s. 23(b); 2021-136, s. 1(a); 2021-137, s. 2(a); 2021-138, ss. 7(a), 11(a), 15(a); 2023-56, s. 1.)