H-0460.1
HOUSE BILL 1250
State of Washington | 69th Legislature | 2025 Regular Session |
ByRepresentatives Barnard, Goodman, and Davis
Prefiled 01/10/25.Read first time 01/13/25.Referred to Committee on Appropriations.
AN ACT Relating to facilitating law enforcement and corrections agency accreditation; adding a new section to chapter
36.28A RCW; adding a new section to chapter
10.93 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that law enforcement and corrections agency accreditation improves the public service of public safety and is beneficial to both law enforcement and corrections officers, and the communities they serve. Accreditation assists agencies to operate under industry best practices and standards, which leads to improvements in officer morale, retention and recruitment, and a reduction in negative interactions between law enforcement and citizens. According to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, only about 25 percent of law enforcement agencies, and even fewer corrections agencies, are accredited. The legislature intends to facilitate accreditation by more law enforcement and corrections agencies.
(2) The legislature also finds that the criminal justice training commission has recognized certain state and national law enforcement accrediting entities, and the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs is the only Washington entity recognized by the commission for law enforcement accreditation. The association also accredits corrections agencies.
(3) For the 2023-2025 biennium, the criminal justice training commission has the authority to provide incentive awards totaling up to $50,000 to each law enforcement agency that receives an accreditation during the fiscal biennium from a national or state accrediting entity recognized by the commission. The legislature further finds that law enforcement agencies benefit from the ability to easily share data and information to improve officer training, supervision, and wellness. The legislature therefore intends to provide funding to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, in consultation with the experts and stakeholders it deems appropriate, to identify barriers and improvements to law enforcement and corrections agencies receiving accreditation, and gaps that exist between agency policies and operations with established law enforcement and corrections best practices. As resources are provided, the legislature encourages the association to assist law enforcement and corrections agencies with physical infrastructure improvements, policy development, and training that is needed to comply with accreditation requirements and other law enforcement and corrections best practices.
(4) The legislature further finds that law enforcement accreditation incentive awards provided through the criminal justice training commission has resulted in more law enforcement agencies receiving accreditation. The legislature therefore also intends to continue funding accreditation incentive awards in the 2025-2027 operating budget as an ongoing appropriation and expand accreditation incentive awards to include corrections agencies that receive an accreditation by a national or state accrediting entity recognized by the criminal justice training commission.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter
36.28A RCW to read as follows:
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, in consultation with experts and stakeholders it deems appropriate, shall:
(a) Evaluate the existing criteria and process for a law enforcement or corrections agency to obtain accreditation from a law enforcement or corrections accreditation entity recognized by the criminal justice training commission to identify areas where accreditation may be enhanced;
(b) Review law enforcement and corrections best practices relating to officer early warning sign procedures, leading indicators data focused on proactive and preventive measures, bystander and de-escalation training, officer wellness, and supervisory review processes;
(c) Identify and evaluate barriers that prevent law enforcement and corrections agencies from obtaining accreditation from a law enforcement or corrections accreditation entity recognized by the criminal justice training commission, and the types of near-term and long-term incentives that could be implemented to encourage and increase law enforcement and corrections agency accreditation;
(d) Identify mechanisms, in addition to those already existing, for agencies to share best practices, data, and information with one another relating to officer training, supervision, and wellness; and
(e) Identify funding needed to implement its recommendations.
(2) The association shall report its findings and recommendations, including model policies, if any, to the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1, 2026.
(3) This section expires December 31, 2026.
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter
10.93 RCW to read as follows:
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the criminal justice training commission may provide an accreditation incentive award to each law enforcement agency and corrections agency that receives an accreditation during the fiscal biennium from a national or state accrediting entity recognized by the commission. A law enforcement or corrections agency may not receive more than one accreditation incentive award per fiscal biennium. Funds received by a law enforcement or corrections agency under this section must be made available to the agency to which they are awarded and may not supplant or replace existing funding received by the agency.
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