Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Appropriations Committee
HB 1001
Brief Description: Establishing a law enforcement professional development outreach grant program.
Sponsors: Representatives Maycumber, Lovick, Ryu, Boehnke, Leavitt, Lekanoff, Tharinger, Goodman, Young, Graham, Cody, Robertson and Johnson, J..
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Authorizes the development of a grant program to encourage a broader diversity of candidates to seek careers in law enforcement.
Hearing Date: 1/19/21
Staff: Yvonne Walker (786-7841).
Background:

The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) provides training and educational programs to law enforcement, corrections officers, and other public safety professionals in Washington.
 
Basic law enforcement officer training is required of all law enforcement personnel, with the exception of volunteers and reserve officers.  The Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) consists of a 720-hour program covering a wide variety of subjects including:  criminal law and procedures, traffic enforcement, cultural awareness, communication and writing skills, emergency vehicle operations, firearms, crisis intervention, patrol procedures, criminal investigation, and defensive tactics.  The CJTC also certifies and, when necessary, decertifies officers.
Summary of Bill:

The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) must establish a law enforcement professional development outreach grant program to encourage a broader diversity of candidates from underrepresented groups and communities to seek careers in law enforcement.  Law enforcement agencies are eligible to compete for grant funding no later than December 1, 2021.
 
Grants must be awarded to local law enforcement agencies based on locally developed proposals.  Each proposal must include a plan for encouraging persons from underrepresented groups and communities to seek careers in law enforcement.  Two or more law enforcement agencies may submit a joint grant proposal for a multijurisdictional project.  No single grant award may exceed $60,000.  At least one grant recipient should be from eastern Washington and one grant recipient from western Washington.
 
The CJTC must submit a report to the Governor and the Legislature on the grant program by December 1, 2022, that summarizes the grant recipients, use of funds, and the potential impact on recruitment.
 
Funding for the grant program is subject to the availability of the amounts appropriated.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.