Concerning public defense recruitment and retention.

 S-0757.1

SENATE BILL 5453

State of Washington

69th Legislature

2025 Regular Session

By Senators Slatter, Torres, Chapman, Frame, Hasegawa, Holy, Saldaña, and Valdez

Read first time 01/23/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

AN ACT Relating to public defense recruitment and retention; adding new sections to chapter 2.70 RCW; creating a new section; and providing an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. The legislature recognizes a critical workforce shortage of public defense attorneys and public defense professional staff, who are necessary to ensure the right to counsel and due process guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States and the Washington state Constitution. The legislature recognizes that a variety of barriers impede recruitment and retention of public defense attorneys and public defense professional staff, particularly impacting certain underserved areas of the state. The legislature intends to promote policies that remove barriers and streamline pathways to public defense practice for attorneys and professional legal staff.

NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 2.70 RCW to read as follows: