HB1172 • 2026

Fire district civil service

Concerning fire protection district civil service systems.

Labor

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor: Representative Schmidt, Representative Bronoske
Last action: 2025-04-11
Official status: C 38 L 25
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Fire district civil service

What This Bill Does

Fire district civil service

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

1172 AMH ENTE ALLI 472

61 • Entenman

WITHDRAWN

Plain English: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1172 AMH ENTE ALLI 472 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Requires a fire protection district that chooses to dissolve its civil service system to:  Provide information to the public on its civil service board or commission;  Establish an outreach plan to recruit and train new employees; and  Adopt a district-wide policy that includes specified protections for employees of the fire protection district.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 1172 AMH ENTE ALLI 472 1 - Official Print EFFECT: Requires a fire protection district that chooses to dissolve its civil service system to:  Provide information to the public on its civil service board or commission;  Establish an outreach plan to recruit and train new employees; and  Adopt a district-wide policy that includes specified protections for employees of the fire protection district.
1172 AMH ENTE ALLI 472 HB 1172 - H AMD 61 By Representative Entenman WITHDRAWN 03/04/2025 On page 2, after line 2, insert the following: "(3) Prior to dissolving its civil service system pursuant to subsection (2) of this section, a fire protection district shall: (a) Provide information in a public place on its civil service board or commission and the services provided by the board or commission; (b) Establish an outreach plan to recruit and train new employees; and (c) Adopt a district-wide policy that includes the following: (i) Merit-based hiring and promotions to prevent political favoritism; (ii) Just cause termination protections; (iii) A formal grievance and appeal process for disputes; (iv) Pay equity and benefits parity to prevent wage disparities; (v) Whistleblower and anti-retaliation protections for employees; and (vi) Standardized pay scales and job classifications across districts to prevent pay inequities." --- END

Bill History

2025-04-11 House
Effective date 7/27/2025.

Official Summary Text

Fire district civil service

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

AN ACT Relating to authorizing fire protection districts to 1
dissolve existing civil service systems with approval from the civil 2
service employees; and amending RCW 52.30.040. 3
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:4
Sec. 1. RCW 52.30.040 and 1984 c 230 s 79 are each amended to 5
read as follows: 6
(1) A fire protection district with a fully-paid fire department 7
may, by resolution of its board of fire commissioners, provide for 8
civil service in its fire department in the same manner, with the 9
same powers, and with the same force and effect as provided by 10
chapter 41.08 RCW for cities, towns, and municipalities, including 11
restrictions against the discharge of an employee because of 12
residence outside the limits of the fire protection district.13
(2) A fire protection district that has adopted civil service in 14
its fire department as provided for in subsection (1) of this section 15
may dissolve its civil service system if:16
(a) Its board of fire commissioners adopts a resolution to 17
dissolve the civil service system; and18
(b) A majority of the civil service employees employed by the 19
fire protection district vote to dissolve the civil service system 20
H-0394.1
HOUSE BILL 1172
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Schmidt and Bronoske
Prefiled 01/06/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Local Government.
p. 1 HB 1172
within 60 calendar days of the adoption of the resolution by the 1
board of fire commissioners. 2
--- END ---
p. 2 HB 1172