{"id":3004,"date":"2026-04-01T10:18:09","date_gmt":"2026-04-01T17:18:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/?p=3004"},"modified":"2026-05-03T21:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-04T04:28:12","slug":"bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/2026\/04\/01\/bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor\/","title":{"rendered":"Bill to Improve Public Safety by Strengthening Eligibility and Professional Standards for Law Enforcement Leaders Signed by Governor"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Olympia \u2013\u00a0<\/span><\/b><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Legislation to strengthen eligibility requirements and professional conduct standards for Police Chiefs, Marshals, and Sheriffs was signed by Governor Ferguson today.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Senate Bill 5974, introduced by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), will establish standardized eligibility requirements to serve as a Police Chief, Marshal, or Sheriff and require that they maintain CJTC certification for the duration of their terms. If a law enforcement leader is decertified for misconduct, they willl not longer be allowed to continue serving as a law enforcement leader.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Regardless of whether the position is elected or appointed, all law enforcement leaders must:<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"0\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Be at least 25 years old;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Be certified as a law enforcement officer or get certified within 9 months of taking office;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have no felony convictions;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have no gross misdemeanor convictions unless those convictions have been vacated;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have not engaged in any conduct that would lead to mandatory revocation of their certification;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"5\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have not surrendered their certification or had their certification denied or revoked and not reinstated by any state;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"6\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have a minimum of five years total full-time government law enforcement agency experience;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"7\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have a high school diploma or equivalent;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"8\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Be a U.S. citizen;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-setsize=\"-1\" data-leveltext=\"\uf0b7\" data-font=\"Symbol\" data-listid=\"1\" data-list-defn-props=\"{&quot;335551671&quot;:0,&quot;335552541&quot;:1,&quot;335559685&quot;:720,&quot;335559991&quot;:360,&quot;469769226&quot;:&quot;Symbol&quot;,&quot;469769242&quot;:[8226],&quot;469777803&quot;:&quot;left&quot;,&quot;469777804&quot;:&quot;\uf0b7&quot;,&quot;469777815&quot;:&quot;hybridMultilevel&quot;}\" data-aria-posinset=\"9\" data-aria-level=\"1\"><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Have been honorably discharged if served in the military;<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Police Chiefs and Marshals will\u00a0be required\u00a0to pass a full peace officer background check. All law enforcement leaders will need to go through an eligibility background check to confirm they adhere to the outlined requirements.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">If certification is not obtained and\u00a0maintained\u00a0as\u00a0required, if decertified, or if other eligibility requirements are determined to have not been met, the office will be considered vacant and local government will go about the standard process of appointing or electing a replacement.\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">Rank and file officers have long been subject to eligibility and certification requirements, including the mandate that they vacate their position if decertified for misconduct.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cThis legislation is about accountability. As a former sheriff, I know that trust between law enforcement leaders and the communities they are sworn to protect is built on\u00a0maintaining\u00a0the highest standards of professionalism and accountability,\u201d said Lovick. \u201cUnder this legislation, our law enforcement leaders will be held to the same standards of conduct which they ask of every other officer in the state.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cMaking these updates to our laws means that no matter where anyone lives in Washington, all of the law enforcement officers in their area have the same training and professional expectations, and they are held equally accountable for instances of serious misconduct,\u201d said Rep. Roger Goodman (D-Kirkland), Chair of the House Community Safety Committee.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">The law\u00a0also\u00a0imposes guardrails on deputized volunteers and \u201cposses,\u201d preventing any individual not certified as a peace officer to be directed to enforce criminal laws or civil immigration laws, detain, arrest, or use deadly force on Washingtonians. It also clarifies that law enforcement leaders are legally obligated to uphold the constitution and state law\u00a0as interpreted by the Washington Supreme Court.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cLaw enforcement may not\u00a0pick and choose\u00a0which laws they want to enforce. This policy clarifies that it is the courts, not sheriffs, that decide whether a law is constitutional,\u201d Goodman continued. \u201cImplementing these standards, qualifications, and accountability measures align the duties of law enforcement leaders with the modern-day expectations of our communities. With this legislation, we will continue to build confidence and trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">When polled,\u00a0<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nwprogressive.org\/weblog\/2026\/03\/75-of-likely-washington-voters-back-bill-to-strengthen-qualifications-and-accountability-for-all-sheriffs-and-police-chiefs.html\"><span data-contrast=\"none\">75%<\/span><\/a><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u00a0of likely Washington voters supported the aims of SB 5974 according to Emerson College Polling.\u00a0That includes the provision\u00a0ensuring\u00a0a law enforcement leader\u00a0who is\u00a0decertified for misconduct must step down so local leaders can appoint a replacement.<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">\u201cTo be clear, no one is decertified for being unpopular,\u201d Lovick continued. \u201cIt is an apolitical process guided by the clear and objective conduct standards followed by every other officer in our state.. We must look at this through the lens of leadership. The best leaders understand the importance of excellence and responsibility starting at the top. If a leader at the top commits misconduct, the burden shouldn\u2019t be on the community to remove them. We are making a promise to Washingtonians that everyone with the power to detain, arrest and use deadly force are well-trained, highly prepared, and professional\u201d<\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span data-contrast=\"auto\">An overview of the law&#8217;s movement as legislation can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/app.leg.wa.gov\/billsummary\/?BillNumber=5974&amp;Year=2025&amp;Initiative=false\">here<\/a>. The full text of the law as signed can be found <a href=\"https:\/\/lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov\/biennium\/2025-26\/Pdf\/Bills\/Senate%20Passed%20Legislature\/5974-S2.PL.pdf\">here<\/a>. <\/span><span data-ccp-props=\"{}\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Olympia \u2013\u00a0Legislation to strengthen eligibility requirements and professional conduct standards for Police Chiefs, Marshals, and Sheriffs was signed by Governor Ferguson today.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5974, introduced by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), will establish standardized eligibility requirements to serve as a Police Chief, Marshal, or Sheriff and require that they maintain CJTC certification for the duration of their terms. If a law enforcement leader is decertified for misconduct, they willl not longer be allowed to continue serving as a law enforcement leader. Regardless of whether the position is elected or appointed, all law enforcement leaders must:\u00a0 Be at least 25&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":3032,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"disable_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news-release"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Bill to Improve Public Safety by Strengthening Eligibility and Professional Standards for Law Enforcement Leaders Signed by Governor - Sen. John Lovick<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/2026\/04\/01\/bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Bill to Improve Public Safety by Strengthening Eligibility and Professional Standards for Law Enforcement Leaders Signed by Governor - Sen. John Lovick\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Olympia \u2013\u00a0Legislation to strengthen eligibility requirements and professional conduct standards for Police Chiefs, Marshals, and Sheriffs was signed by Governor Ferguson today.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5974, introduced by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), will establish standardized eligibility requirements to serve as a Police Chief, Marshal, or Sheriff and require that they maintain CJTC certification for the duration of their terms. If a law enforcement leader is decertified for misconduct, they willl not longer be allowed to continue serving as a law enforcement leader. Regardless of whether the position is elected or appointed, all law enforcement leaders must:\u00a0 Be at least 25...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/2026\/04\/01\/bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Sen. 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John Lovick","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/2026\/04\/01\/bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Bill to Improve Public Safety by Strengthening Eligibility and Professional Standards for Law Enforcement Leaders Signed by Governor - Sen. John Lovick","og_description":"Olympia \u2013\u00a0Legislation to strengthen eligibility requirements and professional conduct standards for Police Chiefs, Marshals, and Sheriffs was signed by Governor Ferguson today.\u00a0 Senate Bill 5974, introduced by Sen. John Lovick (D-Mill Creek), will establish standardized eligibility requirements to serve as a Police Chief, Marshal, or Sheriff and require that they maintain CJTC certification for the duration of their terms. If a law enforcement leader is decertified for misconduct, they willl not longer be allowed to continue serving as a law enforcement leader. Regardless of whether the position is elected or appointed, all law enforcement leaders must:\u00a0 Be at least 25...","og_url":"https:\/\/senatedemocrats.wa.gov\/lovick\/2026\/04\/01\/bill-to-improve-public-safety-by-strengthening-eligibility-and-professional-standards-for-law-enforcement-leaders-signed-by-governor\/","og_site_name":"Sen. 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