Assembly Bill 481

Assembly Bill 481 - Military Equipment Funding, Acquisition and Use Policy

On September 30, 2021, Governor Newsom signed Assembly Bill (AB) 481 into law. This law directs law enforcement agencies to establish rules for the funding, acquisition and/or use of military equipment. The full text of AB 481 is available at https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/bill.

Requirements of AB 481

AB 481 requires each law enforcement agency's governing body to adopt a written military equipment use policy by ordinance in a public forum before May 1, 2022.

• The Fountain Valley Department’s Military Equipment Use Policy, is available to view here. The AB 481-defined list of military equipment in the Fountain Valley Police Department’s possession is in the policy, and includes each item’s purpose, authorized use, expected lifespan, and fiscal impact.
• The Fountain Valley Police Department will prepare an Annual Report that includes the use of military equipment, any complaints received, any internal audits or other information about violations of its Military Equipment Use policy. This report, and any associated information, will be published on this webpage. The first Annual Report will be distributed in or around May of 2023.

Public Input Regarding AB 481

Under AB 481 and in the interest of transparency, the Fountain Valley Police Department has uploaded a draft of the military equipment policy on this website 30-days before a public meeting to satisfy the requirements of AB 481. The public hearing will be held on May 17, 2022.

Any member of the public with complaints or concerns regarding specific equipment may contact the Support Services Bureau Lieutenant at (714) 593-4485. Note: All members of the Fountain Valley Police Department are required to adhere to applicable laws and departmental policies related to the use of force. These policies are available to review in the Fountain Valley Police Department Policy Manual.