All Roll Calls
Yes: 1,620 • No: 1,941
WashingtonSB 59742025-2026 Regular SessionSenate
Modernizing and strengthening laws concerning sheriffs, police chiefs, town marshals, law enforcement agency volunteers, youth cadets, specially commissioned officers, and police matrons.
Sponsored By: John Lovick (Democratic)
Signed by Governor
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
8 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 4 costs, 3 mixed.
New minimum rules for police chiefs
Beginning April 30, 2026, police chiefs and town marshals must meet new statewide rules. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. You must have no felony and no unvacated gross misdemeanor. You must have no conduct that would trigger denial or loss of state peace‑officer certification. If you served in the military, your discharge must be at least general under honorable conditions. You must have five years of full‑time government law‑enforcement work. You must get Washington peace‑officer certification within nine months of taking office and keep it. You also must not have had another state’s certification denied, revoked, or surrendered without reinstatement.
New minimum rules to be sheriff
Beginning April 30, 2026, sheriffs must meet new statewide rules. You must be a U.S. citizen, at least 25, and have a high school diploma or equivalent. You must have no felony and no unvacated gross misdemeanor. You must have no conduct that would trigger denial or loss of state peace‑officer certification. If you served in the military, your discharge must be at least general under honorable conditions. You must have five years of full‑time government law‑enforcement work. You must get Washington peace‑officer certification within nine months and keep it. A background check is required before the filing deadline, within 30 days after election certification, or at appointment.
Checks before appointing chiefs or marshals
Beginning April 30, 2026, before appointing a police chief or town marshal, the appointing authority must run a background check no earlier than six months before appointment. It must send proof to the training commission that the person meets all requirements; this is a public record. The appointing authority pays the costs. This check is not required for incumbents who are grandfathered by the law.
Sheriff candidates face checks and posting
Beginning April 30, 2026, anyone filing to run for sheriff must ask the State Patrol for a background check within six months of the filing deadline. The Patrol must finish by the filing deadline, or within 30 days after election certification if the request came too close to the deadline, and it notifies the candidate. By May 1, 2026, the Patrol posts a standard request form online and takes fingerprints for state and FBI checks. If you are not already certified and you file, are elected, or seek appointment, you are treated as a certification applicant and must complete state and national checks with FBI fingerprints. People seeking election or appointment must give a sworn statement under penalty of perjury that they meet the rules. After the check, the Patrol or appointing authority must record if requirements were met and send that to the training commission. After the filing deadline, the commission posts who requested checks and who passed; after the election, it posts within 60 days a list of sheriffs who completed the check and whether each passed or failed. For appointments, the appointing authority must run a check no earlier than six months before appointment and send proof to the commission; this is a public record. The county pays for required checks, must repay the State Patrol for election checks, and the appointing authority pays for checks it orders.
Public officer records database and privacy
Beginning April 30, 2026, the training commission keeps a public, searchable database of officer records. It lists names, agencies, conduct investigated, denials, reasons for separation, decertification or suspension actions, final results, and key dates. Records are kept at least 30 years, and decertifications are reported to the national index. At the same time, background‑investigation files held by the commission are confidential and not public, with limited access for the officer, their lawyer, employing or hiring agencies, and commission staff. People and agencies that report to the commission in good faith have civil immunity.
Current chiefs grandfathered on age/experience
If you hold a chief or marshal office on April 30, 2026, you do not need to meet the new age‑25 and five‑year experience rules for that same office. This does not apply if you seek a different chief or marshal job. All other new requirements still apply.
Old police matron laws repealed
The law removes outdated police matron statutes listed in the act. The repeal takes effect April 30, 2026.
When these new rules start
Most sections of this law take effect April 30, 2026. Sections 6, 7, and 10 start January 1, 2027.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
John Lovick
Democratic • Senate
Cosponsors
Derek Stanford
Democratic • Senate
Jamie Pedersen
Democratic • Senate
Javier Valdez
Democratic • Senate
Jesse Salomon
Democratic • Senate
Lisa Wellman
Democratic • Senate
Manka Dhingra
Democratic • Senate
Mike Chapman
Democratic • Senate
Noel Frame
Democratic • Senate
T'wina Nobles
Democratic • Senate
Yasmin Trudeau
Democratic • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 3/9/2026
Final Passage as Amended by the House
Yes: 30 • No: 19
House vote • 3/5/2026
2370 Waters Pg 8 Ln 34
Yes: 42 • No: 55 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2352 Keaton Pg 13 Ln 2
Yes: 40 • No: 57 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2354 Marshall Pg 13 Ln 3
Yes: 40 • No: 57 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2355 Abell Pg 13 Ln 3
Yes: 41 • No: 56 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2356 Burnett Pg 13 Ln 3
Yes: 39 • No: 56 • Other: 3
House vote • 3/5/2026
2357 Mendoza Pg 16 Ln 7
Yes: 40 • No: 55 • Other: 3
House vote • 3/5/2026
2358 Waters Pg 16 Ln 7
Yes: 41 • No: 54 • Other: 3
House vote • 3/5/2026
2382 Barnard Pg 16 Ln 7
Yes: 40 • No: 55 • Other: 3
House vote • 3/5/2026
2353 Abell Pg 17 Ln 33
Yes: 40 • No: 56 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2361 Stuebe Pg 18 Ln 2
Yes: 42 • No: 54 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2364 Dye Pg 18 Ln 3
Yes: 44 • No: 52 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2389 Goodman Pg 19 Ln 21
Yes: 57 • No: 39 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2365 Stuebe Pg 19 Ln 27
Yes: 39 • No: 57 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2348 Schmidt Pg 25 Ln 6
Yes: 42 • No: 54 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2375 Burnett Pg 26 Ln 15
Yes: 40 • No: 56 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2376 Dufault Pg 26 Ln 15
Yes: 39 • No: 57 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2384 Marshall Pg 10 Ln 23
Yes: 39 • No: 57 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2351 Penner Pg 13 Ln 26
Yes: 41 • No: 55 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2343 Walsh Pg 1 Ln 3
Yes: 41 • No: 56 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2345 Penner Pg 26 Ln 31
Yes: 41 • No: 55 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2123 Goodman Striker
Yes: 54 • No: 42 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
Final Passage as Amended by the House
Yes: 54 • No: 42 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2335 Fosse Pg 25 Ln 21
Yes: 96 • No: 0 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2385 Abell Pg 18 Ln 13
Yes: 40 • No: 56 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2383 Waters Pg 19 Ln 13
Yes: 40 • No: 56 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2378 Burnett Pg 23 Ln 9
Yes: 41 • No: 55 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2373 Klicker Pg 4 Ln 27
Yes: 44 • No: 53 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2374 Walsh Pg 7 Ln 16
Yes: 41 • No: 56 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2369 Corry Pg 7 Ln 19
Yes: 41 • No: 56 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2371 Burnett Pg 7 Ln 22
Yes: 42 • No: 55 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2372 Marshall Pg 7 Ln 23
Yes: 41 • No: 56 • Other: 1
House vote • 3/5/2026
2359 Griffey Pg 13 Ln 28
Yes: 39 • No: 56 • Other: 3
House vote • 3/5/2026
2367 Rude Pg 17 Ln 30
Yes: 39 • No: 57 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2349 Dufault Pg 17 Ln 33
Yes: 39 • No: 57 • Other: 2
House vote • 3/5/2026
2368 Burnett Pg 17 Ln 33
Yes: 41 • No: 55 • Other: 2
Senate vote • 2/12/2026
627 Wagoner Pg 25 Ln 39
Yes: 19 • No: 30
Senate vote • 2/12/2026
3rd Reading & Final Passage
Yes: 30 • No: 19
Senate vote • 2/12/2026
634 Wilson, J. Pg 15 Ln 22
Yes: 21 • No: 28
Actions Timeline
Governor signed.
4/1/2026legislatureChapter 258, 2026 Laws.
4/1/2026SenateEffective date 4/30/2026*.
4/1/2026SenateDelivered to Governor.
3/12/2026legislatureSpeaker signed.
3/11/2026legislaturePresident signed.
3/10/2026legislaturePassed final passage; yeas, 30; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0.
3/9/2026SenateSenate concurred in House amendments.
3/9/2026HouseCommittee amendment not adopted.
3/5/2026SenateThird reading, passed; yeas, 54; nays, 42; absent, 0; excused, 2.
3/5/2026SenateRules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
3/5/2026SenateFloor amendment(s) adopted.
3/5/2026SenateRules Committee relieved of further consideration. Placed on second reading.
3/2/2026SenateReferred to Rules 2 Review.
2/25/2026SenateCS - Executive action taken by committee.
2/24/2026SenateMinority; do not pass.
2/24/2026SenateCS - Majority; do pass with amendment(s).
2/24/2026SenateFirst reading, referred to Community Safety.
2/14/2026SenateThird reading, passed; yeas, 30; nays, 19; absent, 0; excused, 0.
2/12/2026SenateRules suspended. Placed on Third Reading.
2/12/2026Senate2nd substitute bill substituted.
2/12/2026SenatePlaced on second reading by Rules Committee.
2/10/2026SenatePassed to Rules Committee for second reading.
2/9/2026SenateWM - Majority; 2nd substitute bill be substituted, do pass.
2/9/2026SenateMinority; do not pass.
2/9/2026Senate
Bill Text
Session Law
4/2/2026
Bill as Passed Legislature
3/12/2026
Second Substitute
2/10/2026
Substitute Bill
1/23/2026
Original Bill
1/13/2026
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