1. (1) The amount of training hours required in any basic public safety officer's course must be approved by the council.
2. (2) Students in any basic public safety officers' course are required to complete instruction in the prescribed subject areas as directed by the council.
3. (3) The council will review the curriculum for all basic public safety officers' courses for approval. The review may consist of examining and approving the course syllabus and/or a thorough review of individual course performance objectives and lesson plans which have been established for each designated training block within the prescribed subject areas.
4. (4) The council may approve changes from the course content established at the last review upon written application from the MLEA administrator, training agency, or training provider providing evidence that such change is compatible with the public interest.
5. (5) Any public safety agency which provides or oversees a public safety officer basic course must report to the executive director any substantiated grounds for denial, sanction, suspension, or revocation of POST certification as outlined in these rules.
6. (6) POST will, at least annually, audit every public safety course that exceeds 40 hours, except the reserve officer basic courses. POST will audit the records and documentation retained by the MLEA, training agency, or training provider.

7. (7) A basic course which has been approved by a Montana state or local agency, and which is being administered by an accredited Montana college or university, must meet the following additional requirements:

   1. (a) The accredited Montana college or university curriculum must have the same training subjects and a minimum of the same total basic course hours as the Montana Law Enforcement Academy’s Law Enforcement Officer Basic Course.

   2. (b) The Montana state or local agency must approve the curriculum and methods of the training, and then the basic course syllabus must be approved by the council:

      1. (i) anytime the course syllabus changes; and
      2. (ii) annually, even if the syllabus has not changed;

   3. (c) The approving Montana state or local public safety agency:

      1. (i) must designate a public safety officer to oversee and audit the method of training and day-to-day operations of the course each time the course is provided;
      2. (ii) must document and report all audits of the method and manner of training to POST; and
      3. (iii) must provide the audit and any corrective action to the council to consider and take appropriate action at a regularly scheduled meeting, if deficiencies are noted in the audit regarding the method and manner of training.
   4. (d) It is the responsibility of the approving Montana state or local public safety agency to maintain documentation of compliance with these rules.
   5. (e) All required documentation must be made available to POST for the purpose of conducting its annual audit and any necessary random audits.
8. (8) In addition to the provisions of this rule, every public safety officer basic course is subject to the requirements of ARM 23.13.301, and each student must meet the requirements of ARM 23.13.302 and 23.13.801.

Authorizing statute(s): 2-15-2029, MCA

Implementing statute(s): 2-15-2029, 44-4-403, MCA

History: NEW, 2008 MAR p. 1587, Eff. 8/1/08; AMD, 2014 MAR p. 2951, Eff. 12/12/14; AMD, 2021 MAR p. 616, Eff. 5/29/21; AMD, 2024 MAR p. 607, Eff. 3/23/24; AMD, 2026 MAR, Notice No. 2025-413, Eff. 2/7/26.