wa-law.org > bill > 2023-24 > HB 1132 > Substitute Bill
When used in this chapter:
(1) All Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, all law enforcement personnel, except volunteers, and reserve officers whether paid or unpaid, initially employed on or after January 1, 1978, shall engage in basic law enforcement training which complies with standards adopted by the commission pursuant to RCW 43.101.080. For personnel initially employed before January 1, 1990, such training shall be successfully completed during the first fifteen months of employment of such personnel unless otherwise extended or waived by the commission and shall be requisite to the continuation of such employment. Personnel initially employed on or after January 1, 1990, shall commence basic training during the first six months of employment unless the basic training requirement is otherwise waived or extended by the commission. Successful completion of basic training is requisite to the continuation of employment of such personnel initially employed on or after January 1, 1990.
As a condition of employment, all Washington peace officers and corrections officers are required to obtain certification as a peace officer or corrections officer or exemption therefrom and maintain certification as required by this chapter and the rules of the commission.
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Any applicant who has been offered a conditional offer of employment as a peace officer or reserve officer , offered a conditional offer of employment as a corrections officer after July 1, 2021, or offered a conditional offer of employment as a limited authority Washington peace officer who if hired would qualify as a peace officer as defined by RCW 43.101.010 after July 1, 2023, must submit to a background investigation to determine the applicant's suitability for employment. This requirement applies to any person whose certification has lapsed as a result of a break of more than 24 consecutive months in the officer's service for a reason other than being recalled into military service. Employing agencies may only make a conditional offer of employment pending completion of the background check and shall verify in writing to the commission that they have complied with all background check requirements prior to making any nonconditional offer of employment.
The background check must include:
A check of criminal history, any national decertification index, commission records, and all disciplinary records by any previous law enforcement or correctional employer, including complaints or investigations of misconduct and the reason for separation from employment. Law enforcement or correctional agencies that previously employed the applicant shall disclose employment information within 30 days of receiving a written request from the employing agency conducting the background investigation, including the reason for the officer's separation from the agency. Complaints or investigations of misconduct must be disclosed regardless of the result of the investigation or whether the complaint was unfounded;
Inquiry to the local prosecuting authority in any jurisdiction in which the applicant has served as to whether the applicant is on any potential impeachment disclosure list;
Inquiry into whether the applicant has any past or present affiliations with extremist organizations, as defined by the commission;
A review of the applicant's social media accounts;
Verification of immigrant or citizenship status as either a citizen of the United States of America or a lawful permanent resident;
A psychological examination administered by a psychiatrist licensed in the state of Washington pursuant to chapter 18.71 RCW or a psychologist licensed in the state of Washington pursuant to chapter 18.83 RCW, in compliance with standards established in rules of the commission;
A polygraph or similar assessment administered by an experienced professional with appropriate training and in compliance with standards established in rules of the commission; and
Except as otherwise provided in this section, any test or assessment to be administered as part of the background investigation shall be administered in compliance with standards established in rules of the commission.
The commission may establish standards for the background check requirements in this section and any other preemployment background check requirement that may be imposed by an employing agency or the commission.
The employing law enforcement agency may require that each person who is required to take a psychological examination and a polygraph or similar test pay a portion of the testing fee based on the actual cost of the test or $400, whichever is less. Employing agencies may establish a payment plan if they determine that the person does not readily have the means to pay the testing fee.
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The commission shall allow a peace officer or corrections officer to retain status as a certified peace officer or corrections officer as long as the officer: (i) Timely meets the basic training requirements, or is exempted therefrom, in whole or in part, under RCW 43.101.200 or under rule of the commission; (ii) timely meets or is exempted from any other requirements under this chapter as administered under the rules adopted by the commission; (iii) is not denied certification by the commission under this chapter; and (iv) has not had certification suspended or revoked by the commission.
The commission shall certify peace officers who are limited authority Washington peace officers employed on or before July 1, 2023. Thereafter, the commission may revoke certification pursuant to this chapter.
As a condition of certification, a peace officer or corrections officer must, on a form devised or adopted by the commission, authorize the release to the employing agency and commission of the officer's personnel files, including disciplinary, termination, civil or criminal investigation, or other records or information that are directly related to a certification matter or decertification matter before the commission. The peace officer or corrections officer must also consent to and facilitate a review of the officer's social media accounts, however, consistent with RCW 49.44.200, the officer is not required to provide login information. The release of information may not be delayed, limited, or precluded by any agreement or contract between the officer, or the officer's union, and the entity responsible for the records or information.
The employing agency and commission are authorized to receive criminal history record information that includes nonconviction data for any purpose associated with employment or certification under this chapter. Dissemination or use of nonconviction data for purposes other than that authorized in this section is prohibited.
For a national criminal history records check, the commission shall require fingerprints be submitted and searched through the Washington state patrol identification and criminal history section. The Washington state patrol shall forward the fingerprints to the federal bureau of investigation.
Prior to certification, the employing agency shall certify to the commission that the agency has completed the background check, no information has been found that would disqualify the applicant from certification, and the applicant is suitable for employment as a peace officer or corrections officer.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the commission shall develop training on a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to interacting with victims and responding to sexual assault calls. The curriculum must: Be designed for commissioned patrol officers not regularly assigned to investigate sexual assault cases; be designed for deployment and use within individual law enforcement agencies; include features allowing for it to be used in different environments, which may include multimedia or video components; allow for law enforcement agencies to host it in small segments at different times over several days or weeks, including roll calls. The training must include components on available resources for victims including, but not limited to, material on and references to community-based victim advocates.
In developing the training, the commission shall seek advice from the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, the Washington coalition of sexual assault programs, and experts on sexual assault and the neurobiology of trauma.
Beginning in 2018, all law enforcement agencies shall annually host the training for commissioned peace officers. All law enforcement agencies shall, to the extent feasible, consult with and feature local community-based victim advocates during the training.
With the exception of the state parks and recreation commission, the training requirements under this section do not apply to limited authority Washington law enforcement agencies as defined in RCW 10.93.020 whose authority does not include the investigation of sexual assaults.
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this specific purpose, the commission shall conduct an annual case review program. The program must review case files from law enforcement agencies and prosecuting attorneys selected by the commission in order to identify changes to training and investigatory practices necessary to optimize outcomes in sexual assault investigations and prosecutions involving adult victims. The program must include:
An evaluation of whether current training and practices foster a trauma-informed, victim-centered approach to victim interviews and that identifies best practices and current gaps in training and assesses the integration of the community resiliency model;
A comparison of cases involving investigators and interviewers who have participated in training to cases involving investigators and interviewers who have not participated in training;
Randomly selected cases for a systematic review to assess whether current practices conform to national best practices for a multidisciplinary approach to investigating sexual assault cases and interacting with survivors; and
An analysis of the impact that race and ethnicity have on sexual assault case outcomes.
The case review program may review and access files, including all reports and recordings, pertaining to closed cases involving allegations of adult sexual assault only. Any law enforcement agency or prosecuting attorney selected for the program by the commission shall make requested case files and other documents available to the commission, provided that the case files are not linked to ongoing, open investigations and that redactions may be made where appropriate and necessary. Agencies and prosecuting attorneys shall include available information on the race and ethnicity of all sexual assault victims in the relevant case files provided to the commission. Case files and other documents must be made available to the commission according to appropriate deadlines established by the commission in consultation with the agency or prosecuting attorney.
If a law enforcement agency has not participated in the training under RCW 43.101.272 by July 1, 2022, the commission may prioritize the agency for selection to participate in the program under this section.
In designing and conducting the program, the commission shall consult and collaborate with experts in trauma-informed and victim-centered training, experts in sexual assault investigations and prosecutions, victim advocates, and other stakeholders identified by the commission. The commission may form a multidisciplinary working group for the purpose of carrying out the requirements of this section.
The program participation requirements under this section do not apply to limited authority Washington law enforcement agencies as defined in RCW 10.93.020 whose authority does not include the investigation of sexual assaults.
The commission shall submit a report with a summary of its work to the governor and the appropriate committees of the legislature by December 1st of each year.