Criminal justice trainings

AN ACT Relating to training provided by the criminal justice 1
training commission on a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to 2
interacting with victims and responding to calls involving gender-3
based violence or sexual violence; amending RCW 43.101.270, 4
43.101.272, and 43.101.273; and reenacting and amending RCW 5
43.101.276. 6
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:7
Sec. 1. RCW 43.101.270 and 2015 c 286 s 2 are each amended to 8
read as follows: 9
(1) Each year the criminal justice training commission shall 10
offer an intensive, integrated training session on investigating and 11
prosecuting sexual assault cases. The training shall place particular 12
emphasis on the development of professionalism and sensitivity 13
towards the victim and the victim's family. 14
(2) The commission shall seek advice from the Washington 15
association of prosecuting attorneys, the Washington defender 16
association, the Washington association of sheriffs and police 17
chiefs, ((and)) the Washington coalition of sexual assault programs , 18
and the student achievement council. 19
(3) The training shall be an integrated approach to sexual 20
assault cases so that prosecutors, law enforcement, defenders, Title 21
S-0627.1
SENATE BILL 5356
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Orwall, Hasegawa, Nobles, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/20/25. Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5356
IX investigators, and victim advocates can all benefit from the 1
training. 2
(4) The training shall be self-supporting through fees charged to 3
the participants of the training. 4
(5) The training shall include a reference to the possibility 5
that a court may allow children under the age of ((fourteen)) 18 to 6
testify in a room outside the presence of the defendant and the jury 7
pursuant to RCW 9A.44.150. 8
Sec. 2. RCW 43.101.272 and 2023 c 197 s 3 are each amended to 9
read as follows: 10
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 11
specific purpose, the commission shall provide ongoing specialized, 12
intensive, and integrative training for persons responsible for 13
investigating sexual assault and other gender-based violence 14
involving adult victims, including persons responsible for regularly 15
investigating prohibited conduct under Title IX of the education 16
amendments of 1972, 20 U.S.C. Sec. 1681 — 1683, and as thereafter 17
amended, and the highest ranking supervisors and commanders 18
overseeing sexual assault and other gender-based violence 19
investigations. The training must be based on a victim-centered, 20
trauma-informed approach to responding to sexual assault. Among other 21
subjects, the training must include content on the neurobiology of 22
trauma and trauma-informed interviewing, counseling, and 23
investigative techniques. 24
(2) The training must: Be based on research-based practices and 25
standards; offer participants an opportunity to practice interview 26
skills and receive feedback from instructors; minimize the trauma of 27
all persons who are interviewed during abuse investigations; provide 28
methods of reducing the number of investigative interviews necessary 29
whenever possible; assure, to the extent possible, that investigative 30
interviews are thorough, objective, and complete; recognize needs of 31
special populations; recognize the nature and consequences of 32
victimization; require investigative interviews to be conducted in a 33
manner most likely to permit the interviewed persons the maximum 34
emotional comfort under the circumstances; address record retention 35
and retrieval; address documentation of investigative interviews; and 36
educate investigators on the best practices for notifying victims of 37
the results of forensic analysis of sexual assault kits and other 38
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significant events in the investigative process, including for active 1
investigations and cold cases. 2
(3) In developing the training, the commission shall seek advice 3
from the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs, the 4
Washington coalition of sexual assault programs, and experts on 5
sexual assault, gender-based violence, and the neurobiology of 6
trauma. The commission shall consult with the Washington association 7
of prosecuting attorneys and the student achievement council in an 8
effort to design training containing consistent elements for all 9
professionals engaged in interviewing and interacting with sexual 10
assault victims in the criminal justice system. 11
(4) Officers assigned to regularly investigate sexual assault and 12
other gender-based violence involving adult victims and the highest 13
ranking supervisors and commanders overseeing those investigations 14
shall complete the training within one year of being assigned.15
Sec. 3. RCW 43.101.273 and 2023 c 197 s 6 are each amended to 16
read as follows: 17
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 18
specific purpose, the commission shall, in partnership with the 19
special resource prosecutor under RCW 43.101.279, develop and conduct 20
specialized, intensive, and integrative training for persons 21
responsible for prosecuting sexual assault cases involving adult 22
victims. 23
(2) The training must: 24
(a) Use a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to 25
prosecuting sexual assaults including, but not limited to, the 26
following goals: Recognizing the nature and consequences of 27
victimization; prioritizing the safety and well-being of victims; and 28
recognizing the needs of special populations; 29
(b) Include content on the neurobiology of trauma and trauma-30
informed interviewing, counseling, investigative, and prosecution 31
techniques; 32
(c) Offer participants an opportunity to practice interview and 33
trial skills, including receiving feedback from instructors;34
(d) Share best practices for communicating with victims 35
throughout the criminal justice process; 36
(e) Include additional content relevant to and informed by best 37
practices for improving outcomes in sexual assault prosecutions, as 38
deemed appropriate by the commission; 39
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(f) Take into account the training under RCW 43.101.272 in order 1
to provide consistent and ((complimentary)) complementary training 2
for investigators and prosecutors; 3
(g) Be designed to qualify for some continuing legal education 4
credits through the Washington state bar association; and5
(h) Be offered at least once per calendar year and be deployed in 6
different locations across the state, or through some other broadly 7
accessible means, in order to improve access to the training for 8
prosecutors serving in small offices or rural areas.9
Sec. 4. RCW 43.101.276 and 2023 c 197 s 4 and 2023 c 168 s 4 are 10
each reenacted and amended to read as follows: 11
(1) Subject to the availability of amounts appropriated for this 12
specific purpose, the commission shall develop two curricula for 13
peace officer training as follows:14
(a) Training for peace officers working on patrol on a victim-15
centered, trauma-informed approach to interacting with victims and 16
responding to calls involving ((gender-based)) sexual violence; and17
(b) Training for peace officers on a victim-centered, trauma-18
informed approach to interacting with victims and responding to calls 19
involving gender-based violence. 20
(2) The curriculum for both subsection (1)(a) and (b) of this 21
section must: Be designed for deployment and use within individual 22
law enforcement agencies; include features allowing for it to be used 23
in different environments, which may include multimedia or video 24
components; and allow for law enforcement agencies to host it in 25
small segments at different times over several days or weeks, 26
including roll calls. The training must include components on 27
available resources for victims including, but not limited to, 28
material on and references to community-based victim advocates.29
(((2))) (3)(a) In developing the training for interacting with 30
victims and responding to calls involving sexual violence , the 31
commission shall seek advice from the Washington association of 32
sheriffs and police chiefs, the Washington coalition of sexual 33
assault programs, and experts on sexual assault ((, gender-based 34
violence,)) and the neurobiology of trauma. 35
(((3))) (b) All peace officers working on patrol shall complete 36
the training under subsection (1)(a) of this section within one year 37
of patrol assignment and at least once every three years thereafter.38
p. 4 SB 5356
(4)(a) In developing the training for interacting with victims 1
and responding to calls involving gender-based violence, the 2
commission shall seek advice from the Washington association of 3
sheriffs and police chiefs and experts on gender-based violence and 4
the neurobiology of trauma.5
(b) All peace officers shall complete the training under 6
subsection (1)(b) of this section at least once every three years.7
(((4))) (5) With the exception of the state parks and recreation 8
commission, the training requirements under this section do not apply 9
to limited authority Washington law enforcement agencies as defined 10
in RCW 10.93.020 whose authority does not include the investigation 11
of sexual assaults or gender-based violence. 12
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