S-1249.1
SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5066
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
By Senate Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Hansen, Lovick, Wellman, Trudeau, Hasegawa, Saldaña, Frame, Nobles, Pedersen, Salomon, and Valdez)
READ FIRST TIME 02/07/25.
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; creating a new section; and declaring an emergency.
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.
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 agency accountability with respect to policing, detention, and incarceration practices.