H-3718.2

HOUSE BILL 2872


State of Washington	64th Legislature	2016 Regular Session

By Representatives Fey, Hayes, Clibborn, Moscoso, Rodne, Tarleton, Kilduff, Muri, Fitzgibbon, Appleton, Stokesbary, Stanford, Griffey, Senn, Bergquist, S. Hunt, Ortiz-Self, Gregerson, and Ormsby

Read first time 01/25/16. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workplace Standards.

AN ACT Relating to the recruitment and retention of Washington state patrol commissioned officers; adding a new section to chapter 43.43 RCW; creating new sections; and declaring an emergency.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. It is the intent of the legislature to recruit and retain the highest qualified commissioned officers of the Washington state patrol appointed under RCW 43.43.020. The "Joint Transportation Committee Recruitment and Retention Study" dated January 7, 2016, outlines several recommendations to fulfill this intent. The study recommendations were broken down into several areas, with the Washington state patrol, office of financial management, select committee on pension policy, and the legislature all supporting their respective authorizations and control over their respective areas of responsibility and accountability.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. (1) The office of financial management must perform an organization study through a third-party independent consultant to implement the changes in the "Joint Transportation Committee Recruitment and Retention Study" dated January 7, 2016, affecting each organization in the study. Washington state patrol management must work actively with the independent consultant to implement the recommended changes. An implementation report must be delivered to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and senate by September 1, 2016.

(2) The Washington state patrol must develop an action plan and implementation strategy for each of the recommendations that are outlined in the study with a report due to the transportation committees of the house of representatives and senate by November 15, 2016.

(3) The select committee on pension policy must review the pension-related items in the study and make recommendations to the governor's office and the legislature by November 1, 2016, on pension policy that will assist in recruiting and retaining state patrol commissioned officers.

(4) The legislature, in support of the study, must provide different funding options to start implementing the study recommendations.

(1) To recruit and retain the highest qualified commissioned officers, the state must consider, during the collective bargaining process for commissioned officers of the Washington state patrol appointed under RCW 43.43.020, the estimated average total compensation for each corresponding rank from the Seattle police department, King county sheriff's office, Tacoma police department, Snohomish county sheriff's office, Spokane police department, and Vancouver police department. Total compensation must include base salary, educational incentive pay, seniority pay, physical performance pay, post education incentives, and officer contributions to retirement.

(2) The office of financial management must conduct a survey of the law enforcement agencies described in subsection (1) of this section. The office of financial management must share the results of the survey with the collective bargaining units of the Washington state patrol and publish the results by June 1st of the year in which collective bargaining will take place. The Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs must work with the office of financial management on the survey.

(3) The collective bargaining units of the Washington state patrol and the office of financial management must consider the results of the survey and the dedicated compensation funding provided for in the Washington state patrol highway account during negotiations.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 4. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect immediately.