Washington State
House of Representatives
Office of Program Research
BILL
ANALYSIS
Labor & Workplace Standards Committee
HB 2137
Brief Description: Expanding the definition of law enforcement personnel regarding correctional officers for purposes of interest arbitration.
Sponsors: Representatives Bronoske, Leavitt, Parshley, Kloba, Low and Berry.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Provides interest arbitration to correctional employees employed in city or county jails, regardless of the county's population size. 
Hearing Date: 1/13/26
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:

Employees of cities, counties, and other political subdivisions of the state bargain their wages and working conditions under the Public Employees' Collective Bargaining Act (PECBA).  For certain uniformed personnel, the PECBA requires binding interest arbitration if negotiations for a contract reach impasse and the parties have failed to reach a resolution through mediation.  Under the interest arbitration procedures, the Director of the Public Employment Relations Commission certifies any unresolved issues, and an arbitration panel makes decisions on those issues.

 

Uniformed personnel include, among others, correctional employees who are uniformed and nonuniformed, commissioned and noncomissioned security personnel employed in a jail by a county with a population of 70,000 or more.  Other correctional employees with interest arbitration include those employed in regional jails and in a juvenile detention facility that is located in a county with a population over 1.5 million.

 
Summary of Bill:

The definition of "uniformed personnel" applicable to correctional employees of city or county jails is amended to remove the county population threshold of 70,000 or more.  Correctional employees who are uniformed and nonuniformed and commissioned and noncomissioned security personnel employed in a jail are provided interest arbitration.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Requested on January 7, 2026.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.