SENATE BILL REPORT
SHB 1969
As of March 25, 2025
Title: An act relating to the law enforcement aviation support grant program.
Brief Description: Concerning the law enforcement aviation support grant program.
Sponsors: House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Burnett, Low, Griffey, Graham, Dent, Ley, Volz, Schmidt, Berg, Schmick, Leavitt, Klicker, Keaton, Eslick and Barkis).
Brief History: Passed House: 3/8/25, 96-0.
Committee Activity: State Government, Tribal Affairs & Elections: 3/25/25.
Brief Summary of Bill
  • Creates a grant program for local law enforcement rotary wing aviation support units.
  • Provides reimbursement for search and rescue by aviation support units and provides remaining funds to the Washington State Patrol's Aviation Section.
SENATE COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, TRIBAL AFFAIRS & ELECTIONS
Staff: William Bridges (786-7312)
Background:

Aviation Support Units. Some state agencies and local governments have aviation support units that are used to assist the state in emergencies, such as firefighting and search and rescue.  These include the Washington Air National Guard, the Department of Natural Resources, and air support units of several county Sheriff Offices, such as Chelan, King, Pierce, Snohomish, and Spokane.  

 

The Washington State Patrol Aviation Section uses aircraft and equipment for law enforcement, incident assessment, transportation, and surveillance.  Operations supported by these aircraft include transportation and search and rescue.  


Search and Rescue. The Military Department administers the Comprehensive Emergency Management Program in Washington.  One of the emergency management functions is to support search and rescue operations.  The Adjutant General appoints a state coordinator of search and rescue operations to coordinate state resources, services, and facilities requested by political subdivisions in support of search and rescue operations.  A political subdivision is a county, city, or town. 


The chief law enforcement officer of each political subdivision is responsible for local search and rescue activities.  The Department of Transportation Aviation Division, is responsible for air searches for downed or missing civil aircraft.  Search and rescue activities must be in accordance with state and local operations plans adopted by the political subdivision.  The Military Department estimates that there are approximately 1000 search and rescue missions each year, staffed primarily by more than 5000 citizen volunteers.
Summary of Bill:

Creating a Grant Program for Local Law Enforcement Rotary Wing Aviation Support Units.  Subject to appropriated amounts, the Military Department is required to develop and implement a Law Enforcement Aviation Support Grant Program (Aviation Program) to provide financial assistance to local law enforcement rotary wing aviation support units (Support Units).  As identified by a statewide association of law enforcement executives, eligible Support Units are those that offer support to any jurisdiction in the state reachable by their available aircraft without any cost to the requesting jurisdiction. 


The Military Department will distribute half of the appropriated funds each fiscal year to the Support Units.  The distributed funds are to be used for maintenance and operation of the Support Units, including pilot and crew costs, aircraft maintenance, upgrades, acquisition, insurance, fuel, training, and other expenses associated with operating an aviation support unit.


On a reimbursement basis, the Military Department is required to make the remaining appropriated funds available each fiscal year for search and rescue costs, including training, undertaken by Support Units. Reimbursable costs include fuel, maintenance, and pilot and crew expenses.  Depreciation costs are not reimbursable.


Any remaining appropriated funds at the end of each fiscal year are required to be awarded to the Washington State Patrol's Aviation Section.  All funds awarded to the Aviation Program are to supplement, not supplant, existing local funding for Support Units.
Appropriation: The bill contains a null and void clause requiring specific funding be provided in an omnibus appropriation act.
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:

PRO: County sheriffs are responsible for search and rescue operations but most lack the aerial resources to conduct the searches. The counties of Chelan, King, Snohomish, and Spokane share their helicopters with these counties for search and rescue operations. The service is provided for free with the only request that the county receiving the service pay for fuel for the flight back to the home county. Most of the county helicopters used in search and rescue are from the Vietnam War era and getting more expensive to maintain. Counties providing helicopters provide a valuable public safety service and need state assistance to maintain their readiness.  The military can provide search and rescue assistance, but they typically take hours to deploy. Amendments are recommended to define rotary wing aircraft and to clarify that reimbursement does not constitute supplanting. 
Persons Testifying: PRO: Representative Brian Burnett, Prime Sponsor; James McMahan, WA Assoc Sheriffs & Police Chiefs; David Ellis, Spokane Valley Police Department; JOHN NOWELS, SPOKANE COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE; Patti Cole-Tindall, King County Sheriff.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: No one.