HB0144 - Law enforcement mutual aid.

 

2001

State of Wyoming

01LSO-0364

 

 

 

HOUSE BILL NO.  HB0144

 

 

Law enforcement mutual aid.

 

Sponsored by:

 

 

A BILL

 

for

 

 1  AN ACT relating to criminal procedure; authorizing law
 2  enforcement agencies of this state to enter into mutual aid
 3  agreements with other law enforcement agencies under
 4  certain conditions; providing definitions; providing for
 5  protection in certain situations; amending related
 6  provisions; repealing conflicting and unnecessary
 7  provisions; conforming related provisions in the
 8  Governmental Claims Act and the state self insurance
 9  program; and providing for an effective date.

10 

11  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Wyoming:

12 

13         Section 1.  W.S. 7-3-701 through 7-3-710 are created
14  to read:

15 

16                         ARTICLE 7

17              LAW ENFORCEMENT MUTUAL AID

 

Page  1

 

 

 

 1 

 2         7-3-701.  Short title.

 3 

 4  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Law
 5  Enforcement Mutual Aid Act."

 6 

 7         7-3-702.  Definitions.

 8 

 9         (a)  When used in this act, unless the context
10  requires otherwise, the following definitions apply:

11 

12              (i)  "Law enforcement agency" means a lawfully
13  established federal, state or local public agency that is
14  responsible for the prevention and detection of crime and
15  the enforcement of penal, traffic, regulatory or criminal
16  laws;

17 

18              (ii)  "Law enforcement agency of another state"
19  includes a law enforcement agency of another state and any
20  political subdivision of that state;

21 

22              (iii)  "Law enforcement employee of another
23  state" means an employee of a law enforcement agency
24  trained and certified in accordance with the laws of the

Page  2

 

 

 

 1  state or jurisdiction where regularly employed by the
 2  United States, another state or political subdivision;

 3 

 4              (iv)  "Mutual aid agreement" or "an agreement"
 5  means an agreement between two (2) or more law enforcement
 6  agencies consistent with the purposes of this act;

 7 

 8              (v)  "Party law enforcement agency" means a law
 9  enforcement agency that is a party to a mutual aid
10  agreement as set forth in this act;

11 

12              (vi)  "Wyoming law enforcement agency" includes a
13  sheriff, municipal, college or university police force,
14  Wyoming highway patrol and the division of criminal
15  investigation;

16 

17              (vii)  "Wyoming law enforcement employee" has the
18  same meaning as "peace officer" as defined in W.S. 7-2-101;

19 

20              (viii)  "This act" means W.S. 7-3-701 through
21  7-3-710.

22 

23         7-3-703.  Authorization to enter agreement; general
24  content; authority of law enforcement employee.

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1 

 2         (a)  Any one (1) or more law enforcement agencies of
 3  this state may enter into a mutual aid agreement with any
 4  one (1) or more law enforcement agencies of this state or
 5  another state or the United States to provide the law
 6  enforcement or emergency services that all of the parties
 7  are authorized by law to perform. If required by applicable
 8  law, the agreement shall be authorized and approved by the
 9  governing body of each party to the agreement.

10 

11         (b)  The agreement shall fully set forth the powers,
12  rights and obligations of the parties to the agreement.

13 

14         (c)  A mutual aid agreement may grant a law
15  enforcement employee or officer of any party law
16  enforcement agency acting within the territorial
17  jurisdiction of any other party law enforcement agency
18  authority to act as if he were a duly appointed and
19  qualified law enforcement employee or officer of the law
20  enforcement agency he is assisting.

21 

22         7-3-704.  Detailed content of agreement.

23 

 

Page  3

 

 

 

 1         (a)  Any agreement under this act shall specify the
 2  following:

 3 

 4              (i)  Its duration;

 5 

 6              (ii)  The purpose of the agreement;

 7 

 8              (iii)  The manner of financing the agreement and
 9  establishing and maintaining a budget therefor;

10 

11              (iv)  The method to be employed in accomplishing
12  the partial or complete termination of the agreement and
13  for disposing of property upon such partial or complete
14  termination;

15 

16              (v)  Provision for administering the agreement,
17  which may include creation of a joint board responsible for
18  such administration;

19 

20              (vi)  The manner of acquiring, holding and
21  disposing of real and personal property used in the
22  agreement;

23 

 

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 1              (vii)  The minimum standards for law enforcement
 2  employees implementing the provisions of the agreement;

 3 

 4              (viii)  The respective liability of each party to
 5  the agreement for the actions of law enforcement employees
 6  when acting under the provisions of the agreement;

 7 

 8              (ix)  The minimum insurance required of each
 9  party to the agreement;

10 

11              (x)  The exact chain of command or delegation of
12  authority to be followed by law enforcement employees
13  acting under the provisions of the agreement;

14 

15              (xi)  The enforcement authority that the law
16  enforcement employee of each party law enforcement agency
17  may exercise;

18 

19              (xii)  Provisions for any specific immunities not
20  listed in W.S. 7-3-710 and for defending law enforcement
21  employees in civil litigation;

22 

23              (xiii)  Any other necessary and proper matters.

24 

 

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 1         7-3-705.  Right of state in actions involving
 2  agreements.

 3 

 4  In any case or controversy involving performance or
 5  interpretation of or liability under a mutual aid agreement
 6  entered into between one (1) or more law enforcement
 7  agencies of political subdivisions of this state and one
 8  (1) or more law enforcement agencies of another state or of
 9  the United States, the parties to the agreement are the
10  real parties in interest. This state may maintain an action
11  against any law enforcement agency whose default, failure,
12  performance or other conduct caused or contributed to any
13  liability incurred by this state.

14 

15         7-3-706.  Agreement not to relieve agency of duties.

16 

17  No agreement made under this act may relieve any law
18  enforcement agency of this state of any duty imposed upon
19  it by law. Timely performance of such a duty by a joint
20  board or other legal or administrative entity created by a
21  mutual aid agreement may be offered in satisfaction of the
22  duty.

23 

24         7-3-707.  Limitation of powers.

 

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 1 

 2  Except for the right granted by this act to jointly
 3  exercise powers, this act does not authorize any law
 4  enforcement agency of this state to exercise any power that
 5  it is not otherwise authorized to exercise.

 6 

 7         7-3-708.  Submission of agreement to attorney general.

 8 

 9         (a)  As a condition precedent to an agreement becoming
10  effective under this act, the agreement shall be submitted
11  to and receive the approval of the attorney general.

12 

13         (b)  The attorney general shall approve an agreement
14  submitted to him under this act unless he finds that it is
15  not in proper form, does not meet the requirements set
16  forth in this act or otherwise does not conform to the laws
17  of Wyoming. If he disapproves an agreement, he shall
18  provide a detailed, written statement to the governing
19  bodies of the party law enforcement agencies.

20 

21         (c)  If the attorney general does not disapprove an
22  agreement within forty-five (45) days after its submission
23  to him, it is considered approved by him.

24 

 

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 1         7-3-709.  Filing of agreement.

 2 

 3  Within twenty (20) days after approval by the attorney
 4  general, an agreement made pursuant to this act shall be
 5  filed in the office of the secretary of state.

 6 

 7         7-3-710.  Immunity.

 8 

 9  Whenever the employees of any party state are rendering
10  outside aid pursuant to the request of another party state
11  under an agreement under this act, the state or federal
12  employees shall, under the direction of the state to which
13  they are rendering aid, have the same powers, duties,
14  rights, privileges and immunities as comparable employees
15  of the state to which they are rendering aid.

16 

17         Section 2.  W.S. 1-39-103(a)(iii), 1-41-102(a)(iv),
18  6-1-104(a)(vi) by creating a new subparagraph (N),
19  7-2-101(a)(iv) by creating a new subparagraph (M) and
20  7-3-103(a) by creating a new paragraph (v) are amended to
21  read:

22 

23         1-39-103.  Definitions.

24 

 

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 1         (a)  As used in this act:

 2 

 3              (iii)  "Peace officer" means as defined by W.S.
 4  7-2-101;, but does not include those officers defined by
 5  W.S. 7-2-101(a)(iv)(K);

 6 

 7         1-41-102.  Definitions.

 8 

 9         (a)  As used in this act:

10 

11              (iv)  "Peace officer" means as defined by W.S.
12  7-2-101;, but does not include those officers defined by
13  W.S. 7-2-101(a)(iv)(K);

14 

15         6-1-104.  Definitions.

16 

17         (a)  As used in W.S. 6-1-101 through 6-10-203 unless
18  otherwise defined:

19 

20              (vi)  "Peace officer" includes the following
21  officers assigned to duty in the state of Wyoming:

22 

23                   (N)  Certified law enforcement officers of
24  another state while responding to a request for assistance

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 1  from a peace officer in this state pursuant to the "Law
 2  Enforcement Mutual Aid Act" or other lawful request.

 3 

 4         7-2-101.  Definitions.

 5  

 6         (a)  As used in W.S. 7-2-101 through 7-2-105:

 7 

 8              (iv)  "Peace officer" means:

 9 

10                   (M)  Certified law enforcement officers of
11  another state while responding to a request for assistance
12  from a peace officer in this state pursuant to the "Law
13  Enforcement Mutual Aid Act" or other lawful request.

14 

15         7-3-103.  Purpose and objects; required ratification.

16 

17         (a)  Any agreement or compact entered into under W.S.
18  7-3-101 through 7-3-107 7-3-103 shall be designed to
19  suppress crime, to circumvent the activities of criminals
20  and to expedite their apprehension and trial, and to
21  enforce generally the respective criminal laws and policies
22  of Wyoming and any other state entering into the agreement
23  or compact. In order to effectuate those purposes, an

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 1  agreement or compact may contain specific provisions for
 2  the accomplishment of any of the following objects:

 3 

 4              (v)  The agreement of one (1) or more law
 5  enforcement agencies of this state to enter into mutual aid
 6  agreements with one (1) or more law enforcement agencies of
 7  this state or any other state or the United States in order
 8  to facilitate and coordinate efficient, cooperative
 9  enforcement efforts directed at mutual law enforcement
10  problems transcending jurisdictional boundaries.

11 

12         Section 3.  W.S. 6-1-104(a)(vi)(M), 7-2-101(a)(iv)(K),
13  7-3-103(b) and 7-3-104 through 7-3-107 are repealed.

14 

15         Section 4.  This act is effective July 1, 2001.

16 

17                         (END)

 

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