We have updated our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. By accessing or using this Website, you accept and agree to be bound by our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use.
If you do not agree with our policies, do not access or use our website. Our Privacy Policy explains the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide,
as well as our practices for collecting, using, maintaining, protecting, and disclosing that information.
Accept

Advocacy


Published on Feb 12, 2021

New bill would allow info from police oversight reports into discipline process

Contact: Candice Bock, Matt Doumit

A new bill has been introduced to the Legislature that would allow the contents of a police oversight ombuds report to be used in the disciplinary process of police officers. The bill was heard last week and is scheduled for a committee vote just ahead of the policy committee cutoff deadline on Monday, February 15.

SB 5436, sponsored by Sen. Andy Billig (D–Spokane), would exclude matters and information raised in a local government’s police oversight ombuds report from mandatory collective bargaining in law enforcement contracts (CBAs) when bargaining over discipline procedure. It would also exclude the ombuds hiring process from mandatory collective bargaining. The use of the ombuds report itself in discipline processes could still be subject to bargaining in a CBA and thus excluded from the discipline process.

As you may know, mandatory subjects of bargaining are the subjects that police unions and local government employers must negotiate and agree upon. Permissive subjects are those the parties can negotiate but are not required to agree upon. Currently, reports from a local government’s independent police oversight ombuds and the content of those reports are treated as mandatory bargaining subjects since they deal with the discipline process; law enforcement CBAs can be negotiated to exclude them from any discipline decision making. Under the bill, only the ombuds report could be excluded from the discipline process outlined in a CBA, not the underlying information that an ombuds investigation found.

Currently the City of Spokane hires an ombuds to do police oversight investigations. Other cities may use similar forms of oversight for police misconduct.

SB 5436 was heard in the Senate Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee on February 11. The hearing is available to watch here. The bill is scheduled for a committee vote on Monday, February 15. February 15 is also the first policy committee cutoff, the last day for Senate policy committees to vote Senate bills out.

 

Dates to remember


SB 5436 is scheduled for a committee vote in the Senate Labor, Commerce, & Tribal Affairs Committee on Monday, February 15 at 8 am.

  • Advocacy
  • HR & labor relations
  • Public safety & criminal justice

 

Recent articles


Related content

bill-iconAWC's bill tracker

Visit AWC’s bill tracker to learn about legislation with city impacts this year.

Copyright © 2018-2025 Association of Washington Cities