Two companion bills introducing a much-discussed law enforcement hiring grant program will be heard in committee this week.
Our stance remains the same on the legislative intent of these bills. We support the concept and will testify in support, however we have concerns with the Senate bill as amended. SB 5060 was amended to add additional qualifiers for grant applicants. Its companion, HB 1435, is the original version of the proposal for the limited three-year grant program to hire new officers.
Talking points
As a reminder, as we advocate for public safety funding for cities, we reiterate these main points as we ask the Legislature to:
- Make this investment accessible to all our cities by removing the barriers that can come with their varying ability to apply for a grant;
- End the three-year sunset so that cities will be able to retain officers beyond the first three years; and
- Seek more direct, ongoing, and sustainable ways to make an impact on public safety funding in our shared communities.
A complementary option
When it comes to funding for public safety, AWC also remains supportive of another option, HB 1428 to increase direct, sustainable, flexible, and equitable funding across a wider swath of cities. You can help us by signing in to support this priority bill that allows for wider use and requires fewer hoops for cities to jump through to access vital public safety funding for their communities.
Dates to remember
SB 5060 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on February 3 at 4 pm.
HB 1435 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Appropriations Committee on February 5 at 4 pm.
$100 million for law enforcement grants bill amended
January 27, 2025
The bill introducing a law enforcement hiring grant program was amended to both broaden it and add more restrictions.
As reported last week, the bill was heard in the Senate Law & Justice Committee with a handful of cities and other local government partners signing in support and testifying about the law enforcement funding needs for cities. Cities testified with appreciation for the proposed investment, but urged the Legislature to provide ongoing funding without additional barriers and administrative costs.
Watch AWC’s testimony on TVW.
After the public hearing, the committee voted to advance the bill on Thursday and in the process amended the proposal to allow the grants to cover behavioral health co-responders, but also added a number of additional requirements for a city to quality for the funding.
As amended, the bill now:
- Specifies that in addition to hiring local law enforcement, grants can also be used for peer counselors and behavioral health co-responders.
- Adds new law enforcement agency requirements, including maintaining and publishing:
- Policies consistent with Washington laws and AG guidance;
- Policies and training on use of force;
- Policies and practices related to firearm relinquishment laws and domestic violence 911 response requirements; and
- High compliance rates (80% for CJTC’s crisis intervention training and 100% for trauma-informed training).
- Adds new reporting requirements for the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) to compile detailed data on law enforcement personnel, including vacancy and turnover rates.
While we appreciate the commitment to providing funding for hiring law enforcement and behavioral health co-responders, we believe the additional requirements added to the amended bill create unnecessary hurdles for cities. We are asking the Legislature to instead look towards low-barrier funding models that will help communities access funds more easily and improve public safety without the extra caveats, which could hinder a jurisdiction from seeking vital grant funding.
The bill now goes to the Senate Ways & Means Committee for further consideration. Please contact your Senator and ask them to support $100 million for law enforcement needs, but encourage them to support direct ongoing funding instead of one-time grants with significant restrictions.
The much-discussed $100 million for law enforcement bill gains a hearing
January 20, 2025
A new bill proposes to create a law enforcement hiring grant program that’s supported by Governor Bob Ferguson. It will be heard in committee on January 21.
SB 5060, sponsored by Sen. Jeff Holy (R–Spokane), aims to fulfill an often-mentioned campaign promise from Gov. Ferguson to boost the amount of police officers throughout the state. Washington state has one of the lowest per capita police officer rates in the country at 1.3 officers per 1,000 residents.
As one of our legislative priorities, AWC is excited to see interest from the state committing to provide more public safety funding for cities. During his inaugural address, the Governor again mentioned the commitment, and further reiterated that he won’t sign a budget without the $100 million investment.
While this is undoubtedly good news on the surface, we want to caution that the grant program envisioned in the bill would only cover the cost of a new officer at 75% (up to a max of $125,000) for three years. Cities would be on the hook for the other 25% of the cost, and with the grant program setting to end at three years, it leaves the entire cost of those already-hired officers on cities.
As we advocate for public safety funding for cities, we reiterate these main points as we ask the Legislature to:
- Make this investment accessible to all our cities by removing the barriers that can come with their varying ability to apply for a grant;
- End the three-year sunset so that cities will be able to retain officers beyond the first three years; and
- Seek more direct, ongoing, and sustainable ways to make an impact on public safety funding in our shared communities.
Again, we are excited about this historic investment and are thankful that after years of advocating for this critical need, the state is coming to the table with ideas. We stand at the ready to join the discussion and share our ideas for how to make this funding most effective for our residents’ public safety.
Dates to remember
SB 5060 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on January 21 at 8 am.