Police accountability bill tracker
Last Updated: December 28, 2023
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: Assigned to the House Rules "X" file. This bill will no longer be moving forward this session.
Summary:
- Authorizes the Attorney General to investigate and bring actions against law enforcement and corrections agencies for violations of the Washington Constitution or state law.
- Requires the Attorney General to confer with the Office of Independent Investigations and United States Department of Justice.
- Requires the Attorney General to develop and publish model policies in consultation with various agencies and entities.
Update made on 2/23/24
Status:
House: Assigned to the House Rules "X" file. This bill will no longer be moving forward this session.
Summary:
- Limits officers' use of stops and detentions for non-moving violations as a primary offense, and specifies additional process requirements for traffic stops.
- Requires written consent before an officer may search a vehicle or passengers.
- Requires an officer to prepare a detailed report for each stop or detention.
- Creates a grant program focused on interventions for non-moving violations for low-income road users.
Last update made on 2/23/24.
Status:
House: There were no hearings for this bill, and it did not make it out of committee before cutoff. This bill will not move forward in the 2024 session.
Summary:
- Gives the Director of the Office of Independent Investigations (OII) the authority to prioritize incidents that occurred after the date that the office began investigating cases.
- Allows for OII to have access to copies of reports and necessary information as soon as possible for an investigation, which - under the recommended change - will include information from 911 emergency communication centers
- Extends the time from to July 2025 for reporting recommendations for expanding the scope of investigations or jurisdiction of the office based on trends, data, or reports received by the agency.
- Eliminates language requiring the director of OII to notify local jurisdictions that it is accepting cases, and allows local jurisdictions to notify the office if an incident occurs.
- Expands and provides more thorough guidelines on what and how information may be shared with an involved agency as well as who it may be shared with.
Last update made on 2/23/24.