BILL REQ. #:  Z-0947.1 

Read first time 01/12/2006.   Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

     AN ACT Relating to the certification of tribal police officers; amending RCW 43.101.085 and 43.101.380; adding a new section to chapter 43.101 RCW; and providing an effective date.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 43.101.085 and 2001 c 167 s 7 are each amended to read as follows:
     In addition to its other powers granted under this chapter, the commission has authority and power to:
     (1) Adopt, amend, or repeal rules as necessary to carry out this chapter;
     (2) Issue subpoenas and administer oaths in connection with investigations, hearings, or other proceedings held under this chapter;
     (3) Take or cause to be taken depositions and other discovery procedures as needed in investigations, hearings, and other proceedings held under this chapter;
     (4) Appoint members of a hearings board as provided under RCW 43.101.380;
     (5) Enter into contracts for professional services determined by the commission to be necessary for adequate enforcement of this chapter;
     (6) Grant, deny, or revoke certification of peace officers under the provisions of this chapter;
     (7) Designate individuals authorized to sign subpoenas and statements of charges under the provisions of this chapter; ((and))
     (8) Employ such investigative, administrative, and clerical staff as necessary for the enforcement of this chapter; and
     (9) To grant, deny, or revoke certification of tribal police officers whose tribal governments have agreed to participate in the tribal police officer certification process.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   A new section is added to chapter 43.101 RCW to read as follows:
     (1) Tribal governments may voluntarily request certification for their police officers. Tribal governments requesting certification for their police officers must enter into a written agreement with the commission. The agreement must require the tribal law enforcement agency and its officers to comply with all of the requirements for granting, denying, and revoking certification as those requirements are applied to peace officers certified under this chapter and the rules of the commission.
     (2) Officers making application for certification as tribal police officers shall meet the requirements of this chapter and the rules of the commission as those requirements are applied to certification of peace officers. Application for certification as a tribal police officer shall be accepted and processed in the same manner as those for certification of peace officers.
     (3) For purposes of certification, "tribal police officer" means any person employed and commissioned by a tribal government to enforce the criminal laws of that government.

Sec. 3   RCW 43.101.380 and 2001 c 167 s 10 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) The procedures governing adjudicative proceedings before agencies under chapter 34.05 RCW, the administrative procedure act, govern hearings before the commission and govern all other actions before the commission unless otherwise provided in this chapter. The standard of proof in actions before the commission is clear, cogent, and convincing evidence.
     (2) ((On all appeals brought)) In all hearings requested under RCW 43.101.155, a five-member hearings panel shall both hear the case and make the commission's final administrative decision. Members of the commission or the board on law enforcement training standards and education may but need not be appointed to the hearings panels. The commission shall appoint as follows two or more panels to hear appeals from decertification actions:
     (a) When ((an appeal)) a hearing is ((filed)) requested in relation to decertification of a Washington peace officer who is not a peace officer of the Washington state patrol, the commission shall appoint to the panel: (i) One police chief; (ii) one sheriff; (iii) two peace officers who are at or below the level of first line supervisor, who are from city or county law enforcement agencies, and who have at least ten years' experience as peace officers; and (iv) one person who is not currently a peace officer and who represents a community college or four-year college or university.
     (b) When ((an appeal)) a hearing is ((filed)) requested in relation to decertification of a peace officer of the Washington state patrol, the commission shall appoint to the panel: (i) Either one police chief or one sheriff; (ii) one administrator of the state patrol; (iii) one peace officer who is at or below the level of first line supervisor, who is from a city or county law enforcement agency, and who has at least ten years' experience as a peace officer; (iv) one state patrol officer who is at or below the level of first line supervisor, and who has at least ten years' experience as a peace officer; and (v) one person who is not currently a peace officer and who represents a community college or four-year college or university.
     (c) When a hearing is requested in relation to decertification of a tribal police officer, the commission shall appoint to the panel (i) either one chief or one sheriff; (ii) one tribal police chief; (iii) one peace officer who is at or below the level of first line supervisor, who is from a city or county law enforcement agency, and who has at least ten years' experience as a peace officer; (iv) one tribal police officer who is at or below the level of first line supervisor, and who has at least ten years' experience as a peace officer; and (v) one person who is not currently a peace officer and who represents a community college or four-year college or university.
     (d) Persons appointed to hearings panels by the commission shall, in relation to any decertification matter on which they sit, have the powers, duties, and immunities, and are entitled to the emoluments, including travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060, of regular commission members.
     (3) Where the charge upon which revocation or denial is based is that a peace officer was "discharged for disqualifying misconduct," and the discharge is "final," within the meaning of RCW 43.101.105(((4))) (1)(d), and the officer received a civil service hearing or arbitration hearing culminating in an affirming decision following separation from service by the employer, the hearings panel may revoke or deny certification if the hearings panel determines that the discharge occurred and was based on disqualifying misconduct; the hearings panel need not redetermine the underlying facts but may make this determination based solely on review of the records and decision relating to the employment separation proceeding. However, the hearings panel may, in its discretion, consider additional evidence to determine whether such a discharge occurred and was based on such disqualifying misconduct. The hearings panel shall, upon written request by the subject peace officer, allow the peace officer to present additional evidence of extenuating circumstances.
     Where the charge upon which revocation or denial of certification is based is that a peace officer "has been convicted at any time of a felony offense" within the meaning of RCW 43.101.105(((3))) (1)(c), the hearings panel shall revoke or deny certification if it determines that the peace officer was convicted of a felony. The hearings panel need not redetermine the underlying facts but may make this determination based solely on review of the records and decision relating to the criminal proceeding. However, the hearings panel shall, upon the panel's determination of relevancy, consider additional evidence to determine whether the peace officer was convicted of a felony.
     Where the charge upon which revocation or denial is based is under RCW 43.101.105 (1)((, (2), (5), or (6))) (a), (b), (e), or (f), the hearings panel shall determine the underlying facts relating to the charge upon which revocation or denial of certification is based.
     (4) The commission's final administrative decision is subject to judicial review under RCW 34.05.510 through 34.05.598.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 4   This act takes effect January 1, 2007.

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.