FINAL BILL REPORT

SHB 902

                                  C 339 L 87

BYHouse Committee on Local Government (originally sponsored by Representatives Haugen, Ferguson and Hine)

Exempting city and town fire and police chiefs from civil service provisions and establishing standards for persons appointed as chief of police or town marshal.

House Committe on Local Government

Senate Committee on Governmental Operation

SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

BACKGROUND:

Every city, town and municipality (undefined, although presumably this means a fire protection district, a water district, port district or any other local government) that has a "full paid fire department" must create a civil service commission and employ the fire fighters under a civil service system.  A "full paid fire department" means fire fighters (presumably two or more) who are regularly paid for fire fighting.  All full paid employees (presumably even non-fire fighters) of the fire department are subject to the civil service system,including the chief.

Every city, town and municipality (undefined, although presumably this means a port district, airport district, or any other local government) that has a "full paid police department" must create a civil service commission and employ the police officers under a civil service system.  A "full paid police department" means police officers (presumably two or more) who are regularly paid for and devote their whole time to police duty.  All full paid police officers of the police department who are regularly paid by the city, town or municipality, including the chief, are subject to the civil service system.

SUMMARY:

The chief of a fire department who is appointed after July 1, 1987, may be excluded from a civil service system.

The chief of a police department of six or more officers may be excluded from a civil service system.

Qualifications are established for persons appointed to chief of police, or marshal.  In a city with a population in excess of 1,000, the appointee must :  (1) be a U.S. citizen; (2) have a high school diploma or general educational development (GED) diploma; (3) not have been convicted of a felony; (4) not have been convicted of a gross misdemeanor or crime involving moral turpitude within five years; (5) have completed at least two uninterrupted years of regular commissioned law enforcement employment; and (6) have completed the state's basic law enforcement training requirement or equivalency.  In a city or town of 1,000 or less, the appointee must:  (1) be a U.S. citizen; (2) have a high school diploma or GED; (3) not have been convicted of a felony; and (4) not have been convicted of a gross misdemeanor or crime involving moral turpitude.  Within nine months, the appointee in a city or town under 1,000 population must have completed the state's basic law enforcement training requirement or equivalency.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

      House 95   0

      Senate    44     0(Senate amended)

      House       (House insisted)

Free Conference Committee

      Senate    49     0

      House 97   0

EFFECTIVE:July 1, 1987