Abbott signs ‘Sandra Bland Act,’ bolstering training for officers

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Starting Sept. 1, all future law enforcement cadets in Texas will be required to undergo 40 hours of mental health training. This step comes after a KXAN investigation last month revealed a widespread lack of training for officers interacting with people experiencing mental health crises in the field.
The increase in training is part of a major law enforcement bill, dubbed the Sandra Bland Act, signed by Gov. Greg Abbott on Thursday. Bland was an African-American woman foun