HOUSE BILL REPORT
HB 1290
As Reported by House Committee On:
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry
Title: An act relating to training for tribal police officers and employees.
Brief Description: Concerning training for tribal police officers and employees.
Sponsors: Representatives Lekanoff, Goodman, Ortiz-Self, Ramel, Leavitt and Ormsby; by request of Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry: 1/30/23, 2/9/23 [DP].
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Establishes circumstances when a tribal government and the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) share costs for CJTC training to certain tribal police officers who are engaged in law enforcement activities.
  • Provides that tribes without agreements with the CJTC must pay the CJTC the full cost of training.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMUNITY SAFETY, JUSTICE, & REENTRY
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 9 members:Representatives Goodman, Chair; Simmons, Vice Chair; Mosbrucker, Ranking Minority Member; Griffey, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Davis, Farivar, Fosse, Graham and Ramos.
Staff: Michelle Rusk (786-7153).
Background:

The Criminal Justice Training Commission and Tribal Police Officers.

The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) provides training and educational programs to law enforcement, corrections officers, and other public safety professionals in Washington.  This includes hosting the Basic Law Enforcement Academy and the Corrections Officer Academy, as well as advanced training.  The CJTC also certifies and, when necessary, decertifies peace officers and corrections officers.

 

The CJTC is required to provide training to tribal police officers of federally recognized tribes when the tribe pays the full cost of training.  In addition, tribal governments may request certification of their tribal police officers.  When certification is requested, the tribal government must enter into a written agreement with the CJTC that requires compliance with all requirements related to granting, denying, and revoking certification as applied to peace officers.  Prior to requesting certification of its officers, a tribal government may request consultation with the CJTC to ensure clarity regarding the certification requirements.
Summary of Bill:

The CJTC is required to provide training to tribal police officers and employees engaged in law enforcement activities, and who do not qualify as peace officers, corrections officers, or officers of a general authority Washington law enforcement agency, if:

  • the tribe is federally recognized; and
  • tribal agencies who have entered into tribal officer certification written agreements with the CJTC reimburse the CJTC for 25 percent of the cost of training.

 

Tribes without a tribal officer certification agreement must pay the CJTC the full cost of training.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) It has made a huge difference to include tribal officers in CJTC training.  In the past, tribes have paid 100 percent of the costs for CJTC training, where other law enforcement participants have paid 25 percent.  The costs for training right now can take up so much of tribal government budgets.  Many police officers work part time for a tribe and part time for cities and counties.  This policy will help make sure officers are being trained together, collaborating together, and bringing payment balance between the tribes and other city or county governments.  If agreements are not in place between tribes and the CJTC for tribal officer certification, the tribe will go back to paying 100 percent of the training costs. 

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying: Representative Debra Lekanoff, prime sponsor; Monica Alexander, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission; and Jerred Michael Erickson and Michael Moran, Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.