S-2161               _______________________________________________

                                         SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL NO. 3302

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State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Senate Committee on Judiciary (originally sponsored by Senators Fleming, Zimmerman, Sellar, Bauer, Johnson, McDermott and Gaspard)

Read first time 3/6/85.

AN ACT Relating to law enforcement chaplains; and adding a new chapter to Title 41 RCW.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.     The career of a police officer is highly stressful, resulting in unacceptable rates of divorce, alcoholism, low morale and suicide.  The nature of law enforcement work requires that much information be kept confidential, unfairly burdening the emotional capacity of law enforcement personnel.  Police officers may become the hidden victims of society because of their daily work with crisis.

          The legislature finds that law enforcement chaplains can provide emotional support for law enforcement personnel, including counseling, stress management, and family life counseling.  The legislature also finds that law enforcement chaplains can serve as a crisis intervention resource for personnel of police, fire, and corrections departments, and medical examiners or coroners.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.     The Washington state patrol may utilize the services of a volunteer chaplain who also will serve as the coordinator for a law enforcement volunteer chaplain program for city and county law enforcement agencies.  The chaplain/coordinator may provide technical assistance to volunteer chaplains associated with local agencies.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 3.     The legislature authorizes local law enforcement agencies to use the services of volunteer chaplains associated with an agency.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4.     The duties of a volunteer law enforcement chaplain include counseling, training, and crises intervention for law enforcement personnel, their families and the general public.  Volunteer chaplains shall not conduct religious services nor provide religious instruction as part of their duties.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 5.     If any provision of this act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the remainder of the act or the application of the provision to other persons or circumstances is not affected.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 6.     Sections 1 through 4 of this act shall constitute a new chapter in Title 41 RCW.