Washington's 2021 Legislative Agenda Includes New Police Measures

OLYMPIA, WA — Democratic legislators on Tuesday filed three bills related to police accountability ahead of lawmakers convening an unusual 105-day session next week.

Due to ongoing coronavirus precautions, this year's 105-day legislative session will largely take place remotely, including most debates and votes in both chambers. The Seattle Times reports a limited number of state senators will be permitted on the floor under the approved guidelines, while the Capitol grounds will remain closed to the public.

On Tuesday, state Sen. Manka Dhingra and Reps. John Lovick and Bill Ramos filed three pieces of law enforcement legislation with stated goals to establish a "high standard of honesty," increase public scrutiny over the use of deadly force and create a duty to intervene when colleagues break department policies.

One piece of legislation would require officers or deputies to step in if they determine a fellow officer has used excessive force, and provide aid to the victim as soon as it is safe.

A second bill would require more transparency for "Brady lists," kept by prosecutors, which track officers whose past actions may affect their credibility and require departments to determine if recent hires were previously on such lists.

The third bill filed Tuesday would mandate the state auditor's office to review deadly force investigations to ensure they adhere to the standards established by Initiative 940, passed by voters in 2018.

"We have been working closely with communities who have been suffering violence at the hands of police," said Dhingra, who is a sponsor on all three bills. "These measures will help keep communities safe by holding officers to the high standards Washingtonainas expect and deserve. They will provide more tools and support to the vast majority of officers who are already living up to these high standards."

The latest proposed reforms follow months of protests for racial justice in Washington and across the country. Other bills slated for consideration this year include:

• Banning the use of police K9s during arrests
• Easing the requirements for 'decertifying' police officers found guilty of misconduct, making it harder for them to get rehired at other agencies
• Curbing the use of private arbitration in misconduct appeals, which often result in fired officers getting reinstated or having punishments reversed
• Creation of a new statewide agency to oversee investigations into fatal shootings at the hands of police

A complete list of bills pre-filed for the 2021 legislative session can be found online. Lawmakers will convene on Monday, Jan. 11.