SB 5974 has passed both chambers of the Legislature following extensive House debate last week that lasted into the wee hours of Friday morning.

Like the version passed by the Senate previously, the House version imposes new required qualifications for sheriffs and police chiefs and restricts how local law enforcement volunteers can be deployed. Representatives heard cities’ requests to make those volunteer limitations workable and amended the House version of the bill to allow volunteers to work with police databases and surveillance cameras in limited situations.

AWC thanks the police chiefs and city leaders who reached out to the Legislature after last week’s request. SB 5974 now moves back to the Senate. If you have been watching this bill with concerns, please reach out to your city’s senators to request that they concur with the House amendments.

Once both chambers agree on the details, the bill will move to Gov. Bob Ferguson’s desk.

Reach out to representatives on bill that limits use of databases and camera footage for police volunteers

February 27, 2026

SB 5974 is moving through the Legislature with substantial mandatory restrictions on police departments’ use of volunteers.

Among its other changes to law enforcement agencies statewide, concerning language in sections 6 and 7 of SB 5974says that police volunteers cannot “use surveillance technologies” or “share information from law enforcement databases.” Please ask your members of the House of Representatives to narrow this overly broad language through a floor amendment before the bill passes.

SB 5974 has already passed the Senate and is on the cusp of coming to the House floor. Because time is tight, it’s important you reach out today to your city’s representatives to tell them how this new restriction might limit your city police department’s ability to allow volunteers to provide helpful support for paid staff by monitoring reception-area lobby cameras, working with databases to aid with public records requests, and performing vacation house checks, among other tasks.

There may be other specific roles performed by your police department’s volunteers that rely on camera monitoring or information sharing. It would help to confer with your city’s police chief and reach out to your representatives with these real-world use cases, too.

You can also share the below amendment language with your representatives.

SB 5974 Sections 6 & 7:
(Requested revisions to bill language in bold/underline.)

Any law enforcement agency that uses volunteers or youth cadets, as defined in section of this act, to assist in the work of its law enforcement agency may not provide authority to these volunteers, unless they have completed peace officer training and maintained certification requirements, to enforce criminal laws; engage in pursuits; detain or arrest; use force; carry or use firearms or other weapons; use surveillance technologies except fixed cameras within police stations; or share information from law enforcement databases beyond its originating agency.

To find contact information for your city’s representatives, select your city from the drop-down menu in AWC’s legislator directory. Contact us with any questions or information shared by your legislators.

House hearing set for new required restrictions for police volunteers

February 20, 2026

SB 5974 is set to pass out of committee this week. The bill sets new requirements on who can lead law enforcement agencies in cities and counties, and sets specific limits on duties those agencies can assign to police and sheriff volunteers.

AWC is advocating for amendments to make the bill’s restrictions on volunteer duties align with those currently required to qualify for grant and sales tax funding under HB 2015, passed last year.

Dates to remember

SB 5974 is scheduled for a public hearing in the House Community Safety Committee on Monday, February 23, at 1:30 pm.

SB 5974 is scheduled for a vote in the House Community Safety Committee on Tuesday, February 24, at 4 pm.

Senate passes bill with mandatory restrictions on police volunteers

February 13, 2026

SB 5974 establishes qualifications for police chiefs and sheriffs while also restricting the duties cities can assign to law enforcement volunteers. The bill passed the Senate and now moves into the House.

The bill received extensive floor debate over the constitutionality of establishing restrictions on who can serve as sheriff.

AWC continues to voice concerns that its mandate for all police departments to prohibit volunteers from enforcing any criminal law unduly expands limitations written into HB 2015, last year’s law enforcement funding bill, and turns them too rapidly from incentivized changes into mandatory ones.

SB 5974 is expected to be scheduled for a hearing in the House Community Safety Committee soon.

Bill including mandatory restrictions on police volunteers is on the move

January 30, 2026

SB 5974, which requires new statewide qualifications for police chiefs and sheriffs and restricts what police volunteers can do for departments, was voted out of its committee and will undergo a second public hearing this week.

AWC has concerns and is working with bill sponsors to ensure it will not create statutory conflict with the volunteer restrictions required to obtain law enforcement funding under HB 2015. Of particular concern is that the version voted out of the Senate Law & Justice Committee on January 22 adds to the list of restrictions.

In its current form, SB 5974would prohibit volunteers from aiding enforcement of any criminal law and require all police agencies that use volunteers to write that into policy. HB 2015 requires a similar volunteer policy but makes a specific exception for volunteers to aid with special event traffic and parking enforcement.

Dates to remember

SB 5974 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Ways & Means Committee on Thursday, February 5, at 1:30 pm.

AWC testifies against new mandatory restrictions on police volunteers

January 16, 2026

AWC expressed deep skepticism about a series of restrictions that SB 5974 would require any police department using volunteers to adopt as written policy.

Section 7 of the bill mandates that all cities using volunteers enact a compliant policy and codify it by ordinance by January 1, 2027. The bill’s other provisions include eligibility requirements for new sheriffs and police chiefs and drew contentious criticism in the hearing.

AWC has requested legislators to remove Section 7’s new restrictions on volunteers, several of which overlap with legitimate ways volunteers can help cities save money while increasing public and police cooperation. Alternately, AWC requests that the restrictions on volunteer usage be aligned with those already in law as requirements to access HB 2015 public safety funding.

Dates to remember

SB 5974 is scheduled for a committee vote in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Thursday, January 22, at 10:30 am.

Law enforcement leadership and volunteer restrictions revived in new bill

January 9, 2026

AWC seeks feedback on a reworked version of a proposal to update eligibility requirements for police chiefs and sheriffs and restrict how agencies can use non-staff assistance.

SB 5974, sponsored by Sen. John Lovick (D–Mill Creek), clarifies and strengthens laws governing sheriffs, police chiefs, and marshals, and repeals laws requiring police matrons.

The bill requires that a newly appointed agency leader must:

• Be a minimum of 25 years old;
• Have at least five years of uninterrupted full-time law enforcement experience;
• Successfully pass a background check;
• Have no convictions of felony or gross misdemeanor in any state or country;
• Have not engaged in conduct that would deny or revoke certification;
• Have received at least an honorable discharge for any military service;
• Be a U.S. citizen;
• Have a high school degree;
• Have state Criminal Justice Training Commission (CJTC) certification within nine months of taking office; and
• Maintain certification throughout their tenure.

The bill strikes the existing requirement that the minimum five years’ experience for a chief must be commissioned law enforcement experience, meaning that civilian law enforcement experience qualifies under this bill.

It applies similar requirements for eligibility to run for, or be appointed to, sheriff.

Changes to volunteers, specially commissioned officers, and police matrons

Another section of the bill mandates new restrictions on how police and sheriffs may use volunteers. AWC has several concerns with the proposed requirements.

The new language prohibits volunteers who are not CJTC-certified from enforcing criminal laws or civil immigration authority; pursuing, detaining, or arresting people; using weapons or surveillance technologies; sharing law enforcement database information; or using dogs for purposes other than search and rescue.

It further directs law enforcement agencies to establish policies that define volunteer and specially commissioned officer supervision and how they are distinguishable from peace officers to the public.

AWC is engaging closely on this issue and seeks city feedback on the potential impacts on local volunteer programs.

Dates to remember

SB 5974 is scheduled for a public hearing in the Senate Law & Justice Committee on Thursday, January 15, at 10:30 am.