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Bill would extend State Patrol longevity bonus eligibility to earlier service anniversaries
Summary
Senate Bill 5527 would allow certain Washington State Patrol employees who completed 26 or more years of service prior to July 1, 2024 to receive longevity bonus payments that were established last year; sponsors and patrol associations said the change corrects timing and retention intent.
Senate Bill 5527, sponsored by Sen. Bill Ramos and heard Feb. 3, would expand eligibility for the Washington State Patrol longevity bonus enacted in 2024 so that commission employees who completed 26 or more years of service before July 1, 2024 and who were continuously employed by the patrol for at least one year as of the bill’s effective date would be eligible for prorated retention payments.
Brian Moore, committee staff, summarized the 2024 statute: beginning July 1, 2024, employees completing 26 or more years of service qualify for a $15,000 annual longevity bonus paid in four equal quarterly payments through June 30, 2029. SB 5527 would allow those who met the 26‑year threshold before July 1, 2024 to receive retroactive prorated payments; the State Patrol’s fiscal note estimated costs of about $236,000 for an estimated 31 individuals.
Supporters from the patrol testified. Spike Unruh, president of the Washington State Patrol Troopers Association, said the law’s intent was to retain senior troopers and that an administrative difference in anniversary calculation left some eligible personnel out. He pointed to prior legislative steps to improve recruitment and retention, including salary formula changes and sign‑on bonuses.
Will Stellmacher of the Lieutenants and Captains Association said the bonus encourages troopers to remain in service while staffing vacancies are addressed. The committee did not take final action on SB 5527 during the Feb. 3 hearing.
