H-1307.1

SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1586

ByHouse Community Safety, Justice, & Reentry (originally sponsored by Representatives Goodman, Doglio, Lekanoff, and Pollet)

AN ACT Relating to requiring the criminal justice training commission to establish a work group and grant program related to vehicular pursuits; adding new sections to chapter 43.101 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

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

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 43.101 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By June 30, 2023, the commission shall convene a work group to develop legislative policy recommendations related to vehicular pursuits by law enforcement.

(2) The work group must be comprised of stakeholders representing the following:

(a) The Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs;

(b) The Washington state patrol;

(c) The Washington state fraternal order of police;

(d) The Washington council of police and sheriffs;

(e) The Washington state patrol troopers association;

(f) The international brotherhood of teamsters;

(g) The Washington traffic safety commission;

(h) The Washington federation of state employees;

(i) Families who have lost loved ones as a result of interactions with law enforcement;

(j) An organization advocating for civil rights;

(k) The national association for the advancement of colored people, Alaska Oregon Washington state-area conference;

(l) The Latino civic alliance;

(m) The Asian Pacific Islanders coalition of Washington;

(n) The Washington coalition for police accountability;

(o) The transportation choices coalition;

(p) The governor's office of Indian affairs;

(q) Whose streets? our streets!;

(r) Spokane community against racism;

(s) Next steps Washington; and

(t) The faith action network.

(3) The work group shall consider the following issues when developing its legislative policy recommendations:

(a) The factors to be considered in initiating and terminating a pursuit, and the standards for evaluating the need to initiate or terminate a pursuit including, but not limited to:

(i) The potential for harm or potential danger to others if the fleeing individual evades or escapes immediate custody;

(ii) The seriousness of the offense committed or believed to have been committed by the individual or individuals that are fleeing;

(iii) Consideration of whether the identity of the individual fleeing is known and whether the individual could be apprehended at a later time;

(iv) Safety factors that pose a risk to officers, other motorists, pedestrians, or other third parties;

(v) Vehicular or pedestrian traffic safety and volume;

(vi) Weather and vehicle conditions; and

(vii) Speeds of the pursuit;

(b) The procedures, tactics, and technologies used during pursuits;

(c) The circumstances where officers should consider the use of tactics other than engaging in a pursuit;

(d) The various responsibilities of the pursuing officers, the officers supervising the pursuit, the dispatcher, and air support;

(e) The procedures governing interjurisdictional pursuits;

(f) The procedures governing care of any persons injured in the course of a pursuit;

(g) The contents of law enforcement reports filed related to pursuits; and

(h) The procedures used to evaluate each pursuit.

(4) By December 1, 2023, the commission shall submit a report containing its legislative policy recommendations to the appropriate committees of the legislature, and publish the report on its website.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 43.101 RCW to read as follows:

(1) By October 31, 2023, the commission shall, subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, develop and implement a vehicular pursuit technology grant program for the purpose of providing modern vehicular pursuit management technology to local law enforcement agencies including, but not limited to, global positioning system tracking technology, automated license plate reading technology, and nonarmed and nonarmored drone technology.

(2) The commission shall establish policies for applications under this section in addition to criteria for evaluating and selecting grant recipients. Grants must be awarded to local law enforcement agencies based on locally developed proposals. A proposal must include a request for specific technology and a specific plan for the implementation and use of that technology.

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