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Washington House approves bill tightening qualifications and decertification rules for sheriffs
Summary
After hours of debate, the Washington House passed a revised substitute of Senate Bill 59 74 that updates eligibility and decertification processes for sheriffs, narrows subjective checks for candidates and clarifies volunteer and background-check provisions; the final House vote was 54-42.
The Washington State House on March 5 passed a revised substitute of Senate Bill 59 74, a measure that changes how sheriffs and certain law-enforcement leaders are certified and how they may be decertified, concluding a day of extended debate and dozens of roll-call votes.
Representative Nickie Goodman, the bill’s floor sponsor, said the measure aims to strengthen public trust in law-enforcement leadership and to align licensing and accountability standards. “This bill will build confidence and community trust between community and law enforcement,” Goodman said on the floor, asking members to support the amended text.
Supporters argued the bill standardizes eligibility and accountability across agencies and limits subjectivity in candidate screening. The House adopted a key amendment removing polygraph and psychological testing from the eligibility verification for persons running for elected sheriff; that change was described on the floor as an effort to limit intrusive, subjective barriers to candidacy.
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