Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That §15.2-1731 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§15.2-1731. Establishment of auxiliary police forces, etc., authorized; powers, authority and immunities generally.

A. Localities, for the further preservation of the public peace, safety, and good order of the community, may establish, equip, and maintain auxiliary police forces that have all the powers and authority and all the immunities of full-time law-enforcement officers, if all such forces have met the training requirements established by the Department of Criminal Justice Services under §9.1-102. Such auxiliary officers who are to serve on horseback shall also be trained and certified at a training facility approved by the locality in consultation with the Department of Criminal Justice Services.

B. Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, an auxiliary officer shall be exempted from any initial training requirement established under §9.1-102 until a date one year subsequent to the approval by the Criminal Justice Services Board of compulsory minimum training standards for auxiliary police officers, except that (i) any such officer shall not be permitted to carry or use a firearm while serving as an auxiliary police officer unless such officer has met the firearms training requirements established in accordance with in-service training standards for law-enforcement officers as prescribed by the Criminal Justice Services Board, and (ii) any such officer shall have one year following the approval by the Board to comply with the compulsory minimum training standards.