SENATE BILL REPORT

                  2SHB 2323

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Law & Justice, February 20, 1996

Title:  An act relating to law enforcement training.

Brief Description:  Providing for future law enforcement officers training.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Sterk, Chappell, Thompson, Dellwo, Buck, Hymes, Talcott, Cooke and McMahan).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  2/14/96, 2/20/96 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators Smith, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Long, Roach and Schow.

Staff:  Dick Armstrong (786-7460)

Background:  The Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission provides training and education programs for law enforcement personnel, including commissioned officers, corrections officers, fire marshals, and prosecuting attorneys.  The commission is funded by appropriations from the public safety and education account, and its annual budget is approximately $5.5 million.

Basic law enforcement officer training is generally required of all fulltime commissioned law enforcement employees of the state.  The training consists of a 440-hour program covering a wide variety of subjects, including constitutional and criminal law and procedures, criminal investigation, firearms training, and communication and writing skills.  The law enforcement training is available only to persons employed as commissioned law enforcement officers and must be commenced within the first six months of employment as a law enforcement officer.

The Higher Education Coordinating Board (HECB) oversees higher education policies and practices in the state.  The board provides planning, coordination, monitoring, and policy analysis services with respect to the state's higher education goals, priorities, and needs.  The board also administers state scholarship and grant programs.

Summary of Amended Bill: The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs is authorized to assemble a study group to evaluate and make recommendations to the Legislature regarding the mission, duties and administration of the Criminal Justice Training Commission.  The 20-member study group is comprised of representatives from various law enforcement agencies, cities, counties, and colleges.  In addition, one legislator from each caucus of the Senate and the House of Representatives is included in the study group. 

The bill contains a null and void clause if specific funding for the study is not authorized.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  The striking amendment deleted provisions relating to the future law enforcement officers training program and the conditional scholarship programs.  An emergency clause was added to the bill.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

Testimony For:  The bill will help small jurisdictions to get well-trained police officers without incurring some of the costs which now exists.  The study of the training commission is needed to help modernize the operation of the commission.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Representative Sterk, prime sponsor; Mike Patrick, Council of Police Officers; Jim Scott, Director, WA Criminal Justice Training Commission