Until June 30, 2025, the minimum monthly salary paid to Washington State Patrol (WSP) troopers and sergeants must be competitive with law enforcement agencies within the State of Washington guided by the results of a survey undertaken in the collective bargaining process during each biennium.  The salary levels must be guided by the average of compensation paid to the corresponding rank from the police departments and sheriffs' offices of Seattle, King County, Tacoma, Snohomish County, Spokane, and Vancouver.

Compensation must be calculated using base salary, premium pay (pay received by more than a majority of employees), education pay, and longevity pay.  Increases in salary levels for captains and lieutenants must be proportionate to the increases in salaries for troopers and sergeants resulting from the survey.  This requirement expires June 30, 2025.

By December 1, 2024, the Office of Financial Management must report to the Governor and transportation committees of the Legislature on the efficacy of the WSP recruitment and retention efforts.  

The State Patrol mediation and arbitration statute requires an arbitration panel to consider the hours and conditions of employment of personnel of like personnel on the west coast of the United States.

The expiration date of June 30, 2025, is deleted for the requirement to guide the salaries of  Washington State Patrol trooper, sergeant, captain, and lieutenant by the results of a survey of compensation paid to corresponding rank at the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Tacoma Police Department, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office, Spokane Police Department, and Vancouver Police Department.

By January 1, 2028, and each decade thereafter, to ensure the continued competitiveness of trooper and sergeant salaries, the Office of Financial Management (OFM) is required to conduct an evaluation of the six local law enforcement agencies that are surveyed for salary comparison purposes to determine if any of the agencies should be replaced in the comparison.

Beginning July 1, 2028, salary levels must be guided by the average of compensation paid to corresponding rank from the six local law enforcement agencies, unless OFM determines based on its evaluation that one or more agencies should be replaced in this comparison.  The increases provided to sergeants will be extended to captains and lieutenants as part of the collective bargaining process to ensure proportionality of increases.

The State Patrol mediation and arbitration statute is aligned to reference the six local law enforcement agency comparison rather than similar law enforcement agencies on the west coast of the United States.