H-0040.1
HOUSE BILL 1056
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Farivar, Thai, Mena, Scott, Reed, Cortes, Berry, Peterson, Stonier, Doglio, Parshley, Taylor, Fosse, Goodman, Alvarado, Simmons, Entenman, Macri, Morgan, Eslick, Gregerson, Pollet, Ormsby, Bergquist, Salahuddin, Reeves, and Hill
Prefiled 12/12/24. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee on Civil Rights & Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to strengthening and clarifying the authority of the attorney general to address local law enforcement and local corrections agency misconduct through investigations and legal actions; adding new sections to chapter 43.10 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The state of Washington and its subdivisions undertake to protect the safety of individuals and to preserve public peace by employing peace officers who are entrusted with the power to arrest, detain, and use force against individuals suspected of violating criminal statutes, and local corrections officers who are responsible for the custody, safety, and security of incarcerated individuals. The legislature recognizes that systemic abuses of this power, such as repeated officer misconduct in using excessive force; unlawful stops, searches, or arrests; discriminatory practices that violate the rights of people in Washington; and the provision of substandard conditions of confinement and inadequate medical care to detainees and prisoners, harm public safety, hinder effectiveness, and decrease trust in law enforcement and corrections agencies.
It is the intent of the legislature to clarify existing authority and authorize the attorney general's office to investigate and, if necessary, bring suit against law enforcement agencies and local corrections agencies to compel needed reforms where there are violations of constitutional and civil rights, in order to promote effective and constitutional policing, detention, and incarceration practices across the state, provide significant, systemic relief and transparency, increase community confidence in law enforcement and corrections agencies, and improve officer and agency accountability with respect to policing, detention, and incarceration practices.