SENATE BILL REPORT
SSB 6301
As Amended by House, March 1, 2024
Title: An act relating to basic law enforcement academy.
Brief Description: Concerning basic law enforcement academy.
Sponsors: Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Lovick, Dhingra, Boehnke, Hunt, Kuderer, Lovelett, MacEwen, Mullet, Padden, Shewmake, Warnick and Wilson, J.).
Brief History:
Committee Activity: Ways & Means: 2/01/24, 2/05/24 [DPS].
Floor Activity: Passed Senate: 2/8/24, 48-0.
Passed House: 3/1/24, 90-6.
Brief Summary of First Substitute Bill
  • Allows the Criminal Justice Training Commission to accept donated money or properties that would go to fund a basic law enforcement academy class.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS
Majority Report: That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6301 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.
Signed by Senators Robinson, Chair; Mullet, Vice Chair, Capital; Nguyen, Vice Chair, Operating; Wilson, L., Ranking Member, Operating; Gildon, Assistant Ranking Member, Operating; Schoesler, Ranking Member, Capital; Rivers, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Warnick, Assistant Ranking Member, Capital; Billig, Boehnke, Braun, Conway, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Hunt, Keiser, Muzzall, Pedersen, Randall, Saldaña, Torres, Van De Wege, Wagoner and Wellman.
Staff: Sarian Scott (786-7729)
Background:

Criminal Justice Training Commission. The Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) establishes the standards and process to certify peace officers and other law enforcement personnel. It also provides training and educational programs including the Basic Law Enforcement Academy (BLEA) and specialized trainings.

 

Law Enforcement Training. The CJTC has sole authority to provide basic law enforcement training to all peace officers. All peace officers must complete basic law enforcement training within a certain time period following employment, ranging from 6 to 15 months.

 

Successful completion of training is a mandatory requirement for continued employment.

 

Grants, Funds, or Gifts. The CJTC is authorized to accept, receive, disburse, and administer grants or other funds or gifts.
Summary of First Substitute Bill:

Allows acceptance of money or property that is donated, devised, or bequeathed to CJTC that would go towards the cost of funding a BLEA class.  The CJTC may determine the value of the donation and must coordinate the donations with any grant applications or other sources of funding or gifts.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Creates Committee/Commission/Task Force that includes Legislative members: No.
Effective Date: Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony on Original Bill:

The committee recommended a different version of the bill than what was heard.  PRO: This bill provides clarity regarding the acceptance of donations for funding law enforcement training classes. The CJTC has struggled for decades with extremely long wait times for these classes and the ability to accept donations will assist in reducing these wait times.
Persons Testifying: PRO: James McMahan, WA Assoc Sheriffs & Police Chiefs; Lacey Ledford, Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.
EFFECT OF HOUSE AMENDMENT(S):
  • Permits the Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) to accept any money or property donated, devised, or bequeathed to it for the purpose of carrying out the CJTC's statutory purposes, rather than only to fund a class of the Basic Law Enforcement Academy.