2026 Regular Session

ByRepresentatives Obras, Goodman, Leavitt, Reed, Zahn, Thomas, Gregerson, Ormsby, Reeves, Thai, Macri, Fosse, and Salahuddin; by request of Attorney General

Prefiled 12/16/25.Read first time 01/12/26.Referred to Committee on Community Safety.

AN ACT Relating to the authority of investigators of the attorney general's office; and adding a new section to chapter 43.10 RCW.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.10 RCW to read as follows:

(1)(a) When granted concurrent criminal authority pursuant to RCW 43.10.232 or 43.10.320 to investigate or prosecute crime, investigators have the powers of a limited authority Washington peace officer, as defined in RCW 10.93.020, to investigate crimes encompassed within the concurrent authority granted by a county prosecutor, police agency, or the governor. The limited authority Washington peace officer authority of investigators to serve search warrants under this subsection is further limited to serving search warrants on businesses only when such search has been authorized by a judicial officer. Investigators may physically serve judicially authorized search warrants for business records under this section only if the business specifically requests service at a physical location.

(b) The authority of investigators under this section does not include:

(i) The power to detain or arrest; or

(ii) The authority to be armed in the performance of their duties.

(2) Nothing in this chapter restricts or prohibits any other law enforcement agency's investigative authority or criminal jurisdiction.

(3) For the purposes of this section, "investigators" means employees of the attorney general's office that investigate alleged criminal activity.