IRWIN BILL TO INCREASE LAW ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION STANDARDS SIGNED BY GOVERNOR

SACRAMENTO – Assembly Bill (AB) 992 by Assemblymember Jacqui Irwin (D-Thousand Oaks) was signed into law by Governor Newsom on October 1, 2025. AB 992 bill raises the minimum education requirement to be a peace officer, and authorizes various higher education pathways to meet the requirement to ensure candidates from diverse backgrounds may continue to protect and serve our communities.  The legislation enjoyed bipartisan support, and support from law enforcement, throughout the legislative session.

“Education is a foundational building block for success,” said Assemblymember Irwin. “Whether it be in a profession or trade, we all benefit when there are opportunities for individuals to further develop their skills, and law enforcement is no exception,” she added.

AB 992 was sponsored by the California Police Chiefs Association, the California State Sheriffs Association, and the Peace Officer Research Association of California. Their input was invaluable to ensuring these new requirements achieved the goal of increasing the education level of peace officer candidates without closing the doors of opportunity to a profession that has struggled to recruit and retain candidates in recent years. In addition to law enforcement and local government supporters, the bill also earned the support of the California Community College Chancellor’s Office who improved the legislation with their higher education expertise and knowledge of the benefits of certificate programs, which have a track record of unlocking the academic success of non-traditional student populations. 

The pathways authorized by AB 992 would beginning in 2031, give peace officer candidates 3 years to attain one of the following degrees or certificates: an associate’s degree, a bachelor’s degree, a modern policing degree at the associate’s level, or a professional policing certificate.

“While the requirements of AB 992 are only for the start of a peace officers career, my hope is that every peace officer becomes a lifelong learner, stacking their education achievements into more advanced degrees,” explained Assemblymember Irwin. “I would also encourage agencies to incentivize additional education with career advancement opportunities.”

In 2021 the Legislature passed, and Governor Newsom signed, AB 89 (Jones-Sawyer) which raised the minimum age for peace officers to 21 years old. The bill also directed the Chancellor of the California Community Colleges to develop a modern policing degree program, and report back to the Legislature and Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) on increasing minimum education requirement from the current high school diploma or GED. The provisions in AB 89 were set to require POST to approve and adopt the education criteria submitted to the Legislature by the Chancellor’s Office this month. Unfortunately, due to the particular drafting of AB 89, the Chancellor’s Office concluded that its recommendation was predetermined to be an untenable dual degree requirement of both an associate’s degree focused on modern policing and an additional bachelor’s degree. 

Thankfully, this unworkable outcome for agencies and peace officer candidates across the state has been avoided, with the Legislature passing and the Governor also signing yesterday SB 385 (Seyarto), an urgency statute, to immediately relieve POST of its requirement and allow AB 992’s new higher education pathways to take effect.