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Panel backs SB 5,880 to allow accredited private labs as one route to clear toxicology backlog
Summary
City attorneys, traffic-safety experts and prosecutors told the Law and Justice Committee about a severe toxicology backlog — 19,000 referrals and turnaround of up to 22 months for drug reports — and debated SB 5,880’s option to admit results from ISO/IEC 17025‑accredited labs while raising concerns about local fiscal burdens and confrontation-clause evidence rules.
Senators heard sharply different but intersecting views on Senate Bill 5,880 during the Jan. 13 Law and Justice Committee hearing. The bill would allow blood and breath test results to be admissible if analyzed by laboratories certified or accredited to the ISO/IEC 17025 standard for forensic toxicology testing, in addition to results prepared under the state toxicologist’s permit.
Erica Evans, Seattle City Attorney, urged passage and described the practical consequences of laboratory delay: "Right now, if someone has a drug and alcohol DUI, it takes 22 months for the toxicology lab to get that report back to us," Evans said, adding that long delays can…
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