Law enf agency accreditation

AN ACT Relating to facilitating law enforcement and corrections 1
agency accreditation; adding a new section to chapter 36.28A RCW; 2
adding a new section to chapter 10.93 RCW; creating a new section; 3
and providing an expiration date. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. (1) The legislature finds that law 6
enforcement and corrections agency accreditation improves the public 7
service of public safety and is beneficial to both law enforcement 8
and corrections officers, and the communities they serve. 9
Accreditation assists agencies to operate under industry best 10
practices and standards, which leads to improvements in officer 11
morale, retention and recruitment, and a reduction in negative 12
interactions between law enforcement and citizens. According to the 13
Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, only about 25 14
percent of law enforcement agencies, and even fewer corrections 15
agencies, are accredited. The legislature intends to facilitate 16
accreditation by more law enforcement and corrections agencies.17
(2) The legislature also finds that the criminal justice training 18
commission has recognized certain state and national law enforcement 19
accrediting entities, and the Washington association of sheriffs and 20
police chiefs is the only Washington entity recognized by the 21
H-0460.1
HOUSE BILL 1250
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Barnard, Goodman, and Davis
Prefiled 01/10/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Appropriations.
p. 1 HB 1250
commission for law enforcement accreditation. The association also 1
accredits corrections agencies. 2
(3) For the 2023-2025 biennium, the criminal justice training 3
commission has the authority to provide incentive awards totaling up 4
to $50,000 to each law enforcement agency that receives an 5
accreditation during the fiscal biennium from a national or state 6
accrediting entity recognized by the commission. The legislature 7
further finds that law enforcement agencies benefit from the ability 8
to easily share data and information to improve officer training, 9
supervision, and wellness. The legislature therefore intends to 10
provide funding to the Washington association of sheriffs and police 11
chiefs, in consultation with the experts and stakeholders it deems 12
appropriate, to identify barriers and improvements to law enforcement 13
and corrections agencies receiving accreditation, and gaps that exist 14
between agency policies and operations with established law 15
enforcement and corrections best practices. As resources are 16
provided, the legislature encourages the association to assist law 17
enforcement and corrections agencies with physical infrastructure 18
improvements, policy development, and training that is needed to 19
comply with accreditation requirements and other law enforcement and 20
corrections best practices. 21
(4) The legislature further finds that law enforcement 22
accreditation incentive awards provided through the criminal justice 23
training commission has resulted in more law enforcement agencies 24
receiving accreditation. The legislature therefore also intends to 25
continue funding accreditation incentive awards in the 2025-2027 26
operating budget as an ongoing appropriation and expand accreditation 27
incentive awards to include corrections agencies that receive an 28
accreditation by a national or state accrediting entity recognized by 29
the criminal justice training commission. 30
NEW SECTION. Sec. 2. A new section is added to chapter 36.28A 31
RCW to read as follows: 32
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 33
specific purpose, the Washington association of sheriffs and police 34
chiefs, in consultation with experts and stakeholders it deems 35
appropriate, shall: 36
(a) Evaluate the existing criteria and process for a law 37
enforcement or corrections agency to obtain accreditation from a law 38
enforcement or corrections accreditation entity recognized by the 39
p. 2 HB 1250
criminal justice training commission to identify areas where 1
accreditation may be enhanced; 2
(b) Review law enforcement and corrections best practices 3
relating to officer early warning sign procedures, leading indicators 4
data focused on proactive and preventive measures, bystander and de-5
escalation training, officer wellness, and supervisory review 6
processes; 7
(c) Identify and evaluate barriers that prevent law enforcement 8
and corrections agencies from obtaining accreditation from a law 9
enforcement or corrections accreditation entity recognized by the 10
criminal justice training commission, and the types of near-term and 11
long-term incentives that could be implemented to encourage and 12
increase law enforcement and corrections agency accreditation;13
(d) Identify mechanisms, in addition to those already existing, 14
for agencies to share best practices, data, and information with one 15
another relating to officer training, supervision, and wellness; and16
(e) Identify funding needed to implement its recommendations.17
(2) The association shall report its findings and 18
recommendations, including model policies, if any, to the appropriate 19
committees of the legislature by December 1, 2026.20
(3) This section expires December 31, 2026. 21
NEW SECTION. Sec. 3. A new section is added to chapter 10.93 22
RCW to read as follows: 23
Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 24
specific purpose, the criminal justice training commission may 25
provide an accreditation incentive award to each law enforcement 26
agency and corrections agency that receives an accreditation during 27
the fiscal biennium from a national or state accrediting entity 28
recognized by the commission. A law enforcement or corrections agency 29
may not receive more than one accreditation incentive award per 30
fiscal biennium. Funds received by a law enforcement or corrections 31
agency under this section must be made available to the agency to 32
which they are awarded and may not supplant or replace existing 33
funding received by the agency. 34
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