Washington SB 5209: Enhancing and expanding behavioral health and suicide prevention crisis response services.

Bill Text

CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 5209
Chapter 28, Laws of 2025
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AND INDUSTRIES—LIMITED AUTHORITY WASHINGTON LAW
ENFORCEMENT AGENCY DEFINITION
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025
Passed by the Senate February 12,
2025
Yeas 49 Nays 0
DENNY HECK
President of the Senate
Passed by the House March 31, 2025
Yeas 58 Nays 39
LAURIE JINKINS
Speaker of the House of
Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of
the Senate of the State of
Washington, do hereby certify that
the attached is SENATE BILL 5209 as
passed by the Senate and the House
of Representatives on the dates
hereon set forth.
SARAH BANNISTER
Secretary
Approved April 8, 2025 9:31 AM FILED
April 8, 2025
BOB FERGUSON
Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

AN ACT Relating to explicitly listing the department of labor and 1
industries in the definition of limited authority Washington law 2
enforcement agency while not granting new enforcement authority; and 3
amending RCW 10.93.020.4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 10.93.020 and 2024 c 319 s 2 are each amended to 6
read as follows:7
As used in this chapter, the following terms have the meanings 8
indicated unless the context clearly requires otherwise.9
(1) "Agency with primary territorial jurisdiction" means a city 10
or town police agency which has responsibility for police activity 11
within its boundaries; or a county police or sheriff's department 12
which has responsibility with regard to police activity in the 13
unincorporated areas within the county boundaries; or a statutorily 14
authorized port district police agency or four-year state college or 15
university police agency which has responsibility for police activity 16
within the statutorily authorized enforcement boundaries of the port 17
district, state college, or university.18
(2) "Federal peace officer" means any employee or agent of the 19
United States government who has the authority to carry firearms and 20
SENATE BILL 5209
Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Senators Lovick, Holy, Conway, Dhingra, and Nobles; by request of
Department of Labor & Industries
Prefiled 01/09/25. Read first time 01/13/25. Referred to Committee
on Law & Justice.
p. 1 SB 5209.SL

make warrantless arrests and whose duties involve the enforcement of 1
criminal laws of the United States.2
(3) "General authority Washington law enforcement agency" means 3
any agency, department, or division of a municipal corporation, 4
political subdivision, or other unit of local government of this 5
state, and any agency, department, or division of state government, 6
having as its primary function the detection and apprehension of 7
persons committing infractions or violating the traffic or criminal 8
laws in general, as distinguished from a limited authority Washington 9
law enforcement agency, and any other unit of government expressly 10
designated by statute as a general authority Washington law 11
enforcement agency. The Washington state patrol and the department of 12
fish and wildlife are general authority Washington law enforcement 13
agencies.14
(4) "General authority Washington peace officer" means any fully 15
compensated and elected, appointed, or employed officer of a general 16
authority Washington law enforcement agency who is commissioned to 17
enforce the criminal laws of the state of Washington generally.18
(5) "Limited authority Washington law enforcement agency" means 19
any agency, political subdivision, or unit of local government of 20
this state, and any agency, department, or division of state 21
government, having as one of its functions the apprehension or 22
detection of persons committing infractions or violating the traffic 23
or criminal laws relating to limited subject areas, including, but 24
not limited to, the state departments of natural resources and social 25
and health services, the state gambling commission, the state lottery 26
commission, the state parks and recreation commission, the state 27
utilities and transportation commission, the state liquor and 28
cannabis board, the office of the insurance commissioner, the state 29
department of corrections, ((and)) the office of independent 30
investigations, and the state department of labor and industries.31
(6) "Limited authority Washington peace officer" means any fully 32
compensated officer of a limited authority Washington law enforcement 33
agency empowered by that agency to detect or apprehend violators of 34
the laws in some or all of the limited subject areas for which that 35
agency is responsible. A limited authority Washington peace officer 36
may be a specially commissioned Washington peace officer if otherwise 37
qualified for such status under this chapter.38
(7) "Mutual law enforcement assistance" includes, but is not 39
limited to, one or more law enforcemen