SENATE BILL REPORT

                  2SSB 6369

              As Passed Senate, February 15, 2000

Title:  An act relating to a law enforcement study.

Brief Description:  Ordering a study of law enforcement issues in counties with over 150,000 population.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Patterson, McCaslin, Haugen, Long, Costa, Fairley, Eide, Heavey, Wojahn, Prentice, Brown and Winsley).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  State & Local Government:  1/20/2000, 2/2/2000 [DPS].

Ways & Means:  2/7/2000, 2/8/2000 [DP2S].

Passed Senate, 2/15/2000, 47-1.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE & LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6369 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Patterson, Chair; Hale, Haugen, Horn, Kline and McCaslin.

Staff:  Eugene Green (786-7405)

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

Majority Report:  That Second Substitute Senate Bill No. 6369 be substituted therefor, and the second substitute bill do pass.

  Signed by Senators Loveland, Chair; Bauer, Vice Chair; Brown, Vice Chair; Fraser, Kline, Long, Rasmussen, B. Sheldon, Snyder, Spanel, Winsley and Wojahn.

Staff:  Bryon Moore (786-7726)

Background:  The Legislature recognizes that cities, counties, and the Washington State Patrol have limited resources to support and maintain necessary public safety services.  The Legislature also finds that there may be differences in public safety service delivery in Washington where there is either duplication or an absence of available specialty services increasing the possibility of municipal liability and risk, and inefficient and/or unnecessary use of public safety funds.

Summary of Bill:  The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs must conduct a study of the total costs and expenditures for law enforcement for both counties and cities within the county for counties with populations over 150,000 (King, Pierce Snohomish, Spokane, Clark, Kitsap, Yakima, Thurston, Whatcom).  The study must research, compile and analyze data sufficient to provide a comprehensive analysis of the costs and total expenditures, including special services, for law enforcement; and obtain data from those counties and law enforcement agencies where master interlocal agreements, joint specialty service units, and other cooperative arrangements have been developed.  The goal of the regional services study is to produce implementable recommendations for cost effective, collaborative law enforcement service delivery partnerships.  The association must collaborate with the LEAP Committee and the Office of State Auditor.

The study must begin no later than July 1, 2000, and be completed no later than January 1, 2001.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  With limited resources, we must try and eliminate duplication of effort and try to find economies of scale.  We must strive to develop more collaborative law enforcement service delivery partnerships.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  PRO:  Senator Julia Patterson, prime sponsor; Larry Erickson, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs; Doug Maas, Vancouver Police; Dave Reichert, King County Sheriff=s Office.