Police accountability bill tracker
Last Updated: April 28, 2021
How to use this tracker
Like no time in our history, the Community Police Commission is fighting for changes to Washington State law that promote police accountability. The bill tracker will be regularly updated with information about legislation we are fighting to get passed.
Further information on committee times, submitting public comment, finding out who your representatives are, and much more can be found on the Washington State Legislature website.
Bill Tracker
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Prohibits peace officers from using chokeholds and neck restraints.
- Prohibits law enforcement agencies from acquiring or using certain types of military equipment.
- Establishes restrictions on the use of tear gas, vehicular pursuits, and firing upon moving vehicles.
- Prohibits a peace officer from seeking, and a court from issuing, a search or arrest warrant granting an express exception to the "knock and announce" rule.
- Requires law enforcement agencies to adopt policies and procedures to ensure that uniformed peace officers are reasonably identifiable.
- Requires the Criminal Justice Training Commission to convene a work group for the purpose of developing model policies on the use and training of canine teams.
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Modifies the priorities and composition of the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC).
- Expands the background investigation requirements for persons applying for peace officer, reserve officer, and corrections officer positions.
- Expands the conduct for which the certification of a peace officer or a corrections officer may be revoked.
- Requires employing agencies to report all separation and disciplinary matters regarding a certified officer to the CJTC.
- Removes confidentiality of complaints, investigations, and disciplinary actions for certified officers and requires information be maintained on a publicly searchable database.
Status:
House: Passed Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Requires the Attorney General's Office to establish an advisory group to make recommendations for implementation of a program for statewide data collection, reporting, and publication of use of force data by April 1, 2022.
- Directs the Attorney General's Office to engage in a competitive procurement process to select a Washington private or public institution of higher education to design, develop, and manage the data collection program.
- Requires all law enforcement agencies to report all instances of the use of force to the university no later than three months after the Attorney General's Office determines the contractor can accept reports.
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Limits the felony bar affirmative defense in civil actions arising out of law enforcement activities resulting in personal injury or death, such that the defendant must prove each element of the defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Requires a peace officer to intervene when the officer witnesses a fellow peace officer engaging in the use of excessive force.
- Requires a peace officer who observes wrongdoing by a fellow officer to report the wrongdoing to the officer's supervisor.
- Requires law enforcement agencies to adopt written policies on the duty to intervene and ensure that all law enforcement officers obtain training on the policy through the Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Signed
This bill has been signed and will become law.
Summary:
- Establishes mandatory procedures for selecting arbitrators in grievance arbitrations for disciplinary actions of law enforcement personnel covered by collective bargaining agreements.
- Requires the Public Employment Relations Commission to appoint arbitrators, implement training, create a fee schedule, and post arbitrator decisions on its website.
Status:
House: Passed, Senate: Passed Governor: Awaiting signature or veto
Summary:
- Establishes the Office of Independent Investigations within the Office of the Governor for the purpose of investigating deadly force incidents involving peace officers.
Status:
Failed in Senate committee
Summary:
- Prohibits collective bargaining agreements covering law enforcement officers from including certain provisions related to discipline and oversight.
- Prohibits the use of arbitration for appeals of the discipline of law enforcement officers for misconduct and requires appeals of the discipline to go through a civil service commission, hearing examiner, or administrative law judge.
- Prohibits, on an appeal of the discipline of an officer, the reduction of the discipline imposed by the employer unless the discipline was arbitrary, capricious, or based on an illegal reason.
- Establishes a list of specific misconduct that must result in the discharge of the law enforcement officer.