HB 1579 aims to increase police accountability in Washington by establishing an Office of Independent Prosecutions (OIP), led by an independent counsel, within the Attorney General’s Office (AGO). The OIP would have jurisdiction concurrent with county prosecuting attorneys to review investigations and conduct prosecutions of deadly use of force by law enforcement officers.

The OIP would receive notification of potential cases from the Office of Independent Investigations (OII), created by the Legislature in 2021 and would then make charging decisions. If both the OIP and the county prosecuting attorney filed charges in a particular case, a court would determine whose prosecution of the case would best promote justice. However, functionally, the bill creates a virtual presumption that a county prosecuting attorney would have a conflict of interest in the prosecution of a local law enforcement officer.

Dates to remember

HB 1579 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Monday, March 20 at 10:30 am and for a vote in the same committee on Wednesday, March 22 at 6 pm.