HB 2015 was vastly changed in committee and voted out with some critical fixes, but it needs some additional technical work to benefit the most cities.
At one point during this legislative session, AWC was tracking at least seven public safety funding bills. It’s a city legislative priority that many legislators and the Governor have echoed in public statements – that local law enforcement funding is a state legislative priority as well. Among several ideas that have floated around the Legislature this year, there is one city-supported bill left that is on the move and gaining traction.
HB 2015 was amended significantly in its Senate policy committee on April 1 to remove some of the issues that cities and our public safety partners had pointed out to make it work better for cities. However, several technical issues remain. AWC is working with legislators to continue asking for improvements to this bill we support, because we want to make it the most functional program it can be for as many cities as possible.
You can help by reaching out to your Senators to let them know you support this funding mechanism, but would like to see a few changes and improvements to best help your city.
What the amended bill does
The bill as amended is slightly narrowed to two main funding mechanisms, a grant and a new local sales tax option.
- Establishes a new CJTC-administered grant program
The bill establishes a local law enforcement grant program to help fund hiring, retaining, and training law enforcement officers in Washington. The expanded provisions now allow the grant funding to be used for hiring peer counselors, behavioral health co-responders, and alternative response programs.
At this point, the House-proposed budget includes $12.5 million per year for a total of $25 million for the 2025-2027 biennium for the grant program, a noticeable difference from the original $100 million for police grants that Governor Ferguson said he supports.
To qualify for a grant, a law enforcement agency must have:
- Implemented funding from either the public safety sales tax, criminal justice sales tax or the new sales tax authorized in the bill.
- Issued and implemented certain state-issued model policies and training recommendations;
- Participated in required CJTC trainings;
- Issued and implemented use of force procedures and policies, de-escalation tactics, and the AGO's model policies;
- Implemented use of force data collection and reporting (when the program becomes operational);
- Issued and implemented CJTC's model policies and training addressing firearm relinquishment pursuant to court orders and domestic violence 911 response;
- A completion rate of 25% with CJTC's 40-hour crisis intervention team training;
- A compliance rate of 100% for officers required to complete trauma-informed, gender-based violence interviewing, investigation, response, and case review training;
- A chief of police, marshal, or sheriff who is certified by CJTC and who has not been convicted of a felony or convicted of a gross misdemeanor involving moral turpitude, dishonesty, fraud, or corruption; and
- Policies that prohibit volunteers and specially commissioned officers (with the exception of CJTC-certified reserve officers, volunteers, and specially commissioned officers) from enforcing criminal laws, carrying or using weapons, or using animals (other than search and rescue animals). AWC is requesting further amendments to this provision to ensure that it doesn’t negatively impact the use of volunteers.
Grant funding may be used for:
- Recruiting and funding new law enforcement officers, county corrections officers, peer counselors, and behavioral health personnel working in co-response in Washington State. Grants may provide up to:
- 75% of the entry-level salaries and fringe benefits of fulltime local or tribal law enforcement officers for a maximum of 36 months; and
- A minimum 25% local cash match requirement and a maximum state share of $125,000 per position;
- Use of force, de-escalation, crisis intervention, and trauma-informed trainings for officers to remain in compliance with CJTC's required trainings; and
- Broader law enforcement and public safety efforts such as emergency management planning, environmental hazard mitigations, security personnel, community outreach and assistance programs, alternative response programs, and mental health crisis response.
- Creates a new local sales & use tax authority
The bill also establishes the ability for counties and cities to impose an additional 0.1% sales tax for criminal justice purposes. To impose the tax, a city or county must meet the eligibility requirements for the new grant program listed above.
Notably, if the voters of either a city or county have rejected the imposition of the local criminal justice sales and use tax or the local public safety sales and use tax within the past two years, then that city or county may not impose the new sales and use tax.
Dates to remember
HB 2015 is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Tuesday, April 8 at 1:30 pm.
Senate committee to hear public input on House-passed safety bill
March 21, 2025
HB 2015 to establish a set of new funding pathways for public safety hiring and training is set for a key public Senate committee hearing Tuesday, March 25.
This is a significant opportunity for cities to have a voice in shaping the legislation as it moves forward. After hearing public comment on the bill, the Senate Law & Justice Committee may amend the legislation before taking a scheduled Thursday vote on whether the bill should pass.
The bill is structured to create a new local sales tax, grant program, and direct funding distributions with each element contingent on the others. In the legislation’s current form, a city or county would need to apply for and receive one of the newly created grants prior to being eligible to implement the new sales tax or receive the new state funding distributions. AWC is asking for changes to this provision so that cities can access both the new local taxing authority and the new state funding with few restrictions.
Concerningly, some of the criteria to qualify for a grant will require legislative revision to function as intended, and the bill sets training requirements that the state’s Criminal Justice Training Center does not currently offer. AWC has highlighted these concerns and is working with other stakeholders to propose language that will resolve those technical issues. AWC continues to emphasize the importance of getting this milestone public safety legislation right so that it can help cities this year.
Please consider signing in as “pro” to voice support for this bill and provide input on how its expansion of safety funding can help your constituents.
Dates to remember
HB 2015 is scheduled for public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Tuesday, March 25 at 8 am.
HB 2015 is scheduled for a vote in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Thursday, March 27 at 10:30 am.
Important public safety funding bill wins House floor votes
March 17, 2025
A bill creating a new source for law enforcement funding has cleared a major legislative hurdle.
HB 2015, establishing new funding mechanism for public safety, passed the House in a 54-42 vote on March 11. It awaits a hearing in the Senate Law and Justice Committee.
The bill includes a new local sales tax, grant program, and direct funding distributions all contingent upon the other. As amended, a city or county would need to apply for and receive one of the newly created grants prior to being eligible to implement the new sales tax or receive the new state funding distributions. Some of the provisions of the bill remain confusing and some of the criteria for qualifying for a grant need to be revised so that they are implementable. Currently the bill requires meeting certain training requirements that the CJTC is unable to offer.
AWC supports this bill as a pathway to address cities’ longstanding need for expanded sustainable public safety funding. We are working with stakeholders to address training requirements within the bill to make this funding accessible to as many cities as it intends. We are also working with legislators on fixing contradictory language in the bill to clarify requirements for the tax and grant funding.
Another bill to fund law enforcement via a new grant program, SB 5060, did not receive a floor vote before a March 12 deadline, but could still be included in budget proposals later this session.
Reach out to us with any thoughts, concerns, or ideas you may have to improve this bill for your city.
Bill with three-tiered approach to public safety funding advancing in House
February 28, 2025
HB 2015, which contains multiple approaches to boosting funding for local law enforcement throughout Washington, is moving forward in the Legislature.
Cities and counties that wish to obtain this funding would first have to establish a new 0.1% sales tax to fund criminal justice purposes. This tax is separate from the existing public safety sales tax authority. AWC has requested that cities that have adopted the existing tax receive credit for that and could qualify for the additional state funding.
A jurisdiction that enacts the tax could then apply to the state Criminal Justice Training Center for a grant to support hiring, retaining, and training officers for community policing and public safety.
If that grant is approved, the jurisdiction could also apply for additional funds from a new state account, which would distribute money using a per-capita formula.
AWC is working to support the opportunity to increase resources for local law enforcement and is engaging with bill sponsors to ensure the funding mechanism will be helpful and available to all interested member cities.
Bill establishes supplemental criminal justice account for public safety funding
February 24, 2025
HB 2015 creates new, additional funding mechanisms to support local law enforcement and public safety.
The bill authorizing a new local option tax is cosponsored by Reps. Debra Entenman (D-Kent) and Kristine Reeves (D-Federal Way). Cities support new ideas for public safety funding, as one of AWC’s legislative priorities this session.
As written, it proposes to:
- Create a new state account for public safety funding
- Funds would be distributed each quarter based on population size
- Requires a city to apply for and get approved for a grant (see bullet 2 below)
- Additional requirements for a city to qualify for grants, including specialized training, taking the local sales tax adoption, and reporting requirements
- Requires a city to adopt a new local sales tax (see bullet 3 below)
- Establish a law enforcement grant program through CJTC, with funds used to:
- Hire and retain officers
- Train officers in crisis intervention, use of force, de-escalation, and trauma-informed practices
- Support other public safety efforts like mental health and crisis response
- Authorize a local option sales tax for public safety
- Cities and counties could impose a new, additional 0.1% sales tax to use towards criminal justice purposes
- Funds can be used towards salaries, training, domestic violence programs, and other criminal justice improvements
This new proposal does represent an ongoing and stable funding source for some cities; however, the bill’s mechanism by which cities could qualify for grant funds could create extra hurdles for cities to both adopt the optional sales tax increase and comply with new requirements.
A complementary option
When it comes to funding for public safety, AWC also remains supportive of an existing state-shared revenue account, HB 1428 that would increase direct, sustainable, flexible, and equitable funding across a wider swath of cities. You can help us by contacting your Representative and saying that you support HB 1428 because it allows for wider use and requires fewer hoops for cities to jump through to access vital public safety funding for our communities.
Dates to remember
HB 2015 held public hearing in the House Finance Committee on Monday, February 24 at 8 am.
HB 2015 is scheduled for a committee vote in the House Finance Committee on Tuesday, February 25 at 8 am.