HOUSE BILL REPORT

SHB 902

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haugen, Ferguson and Hine)

Exempting city and town fire and police chiefs from civil service provisions.

House Committe on Local Government

Majority Report:     The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass.  (11)

     Signed by Representatives Haugen, Chair; Cooper, Vice Chair; Beck, Ferguson, Madsen, Nealey, Nelson, Nutley, Rayburn, P. Smith and Zellinsky.

House Staff:Steve Lundin (786-7127)

AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 13, 1987

BACKGROUND:

Every city, town, and municipality (undefined, although presumably this means a fire protection district, and a water district, port district or any other local government) that has a "full paid fire department" must create a civil service commission and employ the fire fighters under a civil service system.  A "full paid fire department" means fire fighters (presumably two or more) who are regularly paid for fire fighting.  All full paid employees (presumably even non-fire fighters) of the fire department, including the chief, are subject to the civil service system.

Every city, town, and municipality (undefined, although presumably this means a port district, airport district, or any other local government) that has a "full paid police department" must create a civil service commission and employ the police officers under a civil service system.  A "full paid police department" means police officers (presumably two or more) who are regularly paid for, and devote their whole time to, police duty.  All full paid police officers of the police department who are regularly paid by the city, town, or municipality, including the chief, are subject to the civil service system.

SUMMARY:

Fire chiefs and police chiefs hired after July 1, 1987 would no longer be subject to civil service employment.

EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):  (1) The chief of police of a police department of six or more officers, instead of any number of officers, may be excluded from civil service.  (2) Qualifications are established for persons appointed to chief of police, or marshal, or constable, or public safety director, including:  (a) a high school diploma or GED; (b) no conviction of a felony; (c) no conviction of a gross misdemeanor or crime involving moral turpitude within five years; (d) completion of at least two uninterrupted years of regular commissioned law enforcement employment; and (e) completion of the state's basic law enforcement training requirement or equivalency.

Fiscal Note:    Not Requested.

Effective Date:Fire chiefs and police chiefs hired after July 1, 1987 would no longer be subject to civil service employment.

House Committee ‑ Testified For:     Kathleen Collins, Association of Washington Cities; Mayor Robert Roegner, City of Auburn; Paul Grattet, City of Vancouver; Howard Vietzke, Firefighters Association; Otto Jensen, Association of Fire Chiefs; and Jesse Anderson, King County Fire District No. 11.

House Committee - Testified Against: None Presented.

House Committee - Testimony For:     They should be treated as part of management.  The appeal process is very lengthy and extremely costly.

House Committee - Testimony Against: None Presented.

VOTE ON FINAL PASSAGE:

     Yeas 95; Nays 0; Absent 0: Excused 3

Excused:   Representatives Hankins, Nealey and B. Williams