H-0566.1
HOUSE BILL 1456
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Griffey, Caldier, Jacobsen, Klicker, Nance, and Eslick
Read first time 01/21/25. Referred to Committee on Community Safety.
AN ACT Relating to changing conditions, policies, and programs to support specified law enforcement personnel and help in recruiting and retaining law enforcement officers; amending RCW 4.24.420 , 43.43.112 , 79A.05.160 , and 42.52.120 ; reenacting and amending RCW 10.120.020 ; adding a new section to chapter 43.59 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 28B.50 RCW; adding a new section to chapter 36.28 RCW; and creating a new section.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature finds that Washington state has the lowest number of law enforcement officers per capita in the country with a rate of 1.35 officers per one thousand residents in 2023, down from 1.51 in 2019 and the national average is 2.31 officers per thousand residents. The legislature also finds that during the same time frame of 2019 to 2023, crimes against persons have increased nine percent, property crimes have increased 14 percent, and the number of law enforcement officers assaulted has increased 21 percent. Therefore, the legislature intends to support law enforcement officers and encourage more individuals to be law enforcement officers by restoring reasonable protections from civil liability when performing job duties in accordance with their training, experience, and agency policies, directing the Washington traffic safety commission to coordinate a law enforcement appreciation media campaign, and authorizing law enforcement officers to receive honoraria when giving presentations before higher education classes on criminal justice or forensic science.
Sec. 2. RCW 4.24.420 and 2021 c 325 s 1 are each amended to read as follows: