This bill creates a new state-level enforcement authority by adding Sections 2–5 to chapter 43.10 RCW that authorizes the Washington attorney general to investigate local law enforcement agencies and local corrections agencies for violations of the Washington State Constitution or state law and to bring civil actions against those agencies. The attorney general may initiate investigations on its own or in response to independent oversight reports, issue written civil investigative demands (for documents and oral testimony) and interrogatories, and seek injunctive or declaratory relief, damages, costs, and reasonable attorneys' fees; a court may award costs and reasonable attorneys' fees to the attorney general if the attorney general prevails. Remedies and resolutions must include timelines for completion, and the act provides for damages if required timelines are not met. The text states the authority is not intended to impose personal liability on individual officers. The bill imposes procedural requirements on the attorney general’s use of this authority: at the start of a formal investigation the attorney general must confer with the U.S. Department of Justice and must not seek relief that would conflict with an active DOJ investigation or bring a civil action concurrently with DOJ civil actions; the attorney general must send a letter to the subject local agency explaining the investigation and request a meeting; the attorney general must also confer with the subject local agency and with the office of independent investigations to avoid interference. The bill prohibits public employers covered by the act from entering into or renewing collective bargaining agreements that conflict with the act, while allowing laws or rules to conflict only to the extent necessary to effectuate an existing collective bargaining agreement for its term. The bill directs the attorney general to develop and publish, by September 1, 2026, a model policy for law enforcement agency accountability systems specifying model practices for handling serious misconduct complaints, investigations, discipline, and appeals, and requires consultation with a list of entities including the Office of Independent Investigations, the Criminal Justice Training Commission, the State Auditor, law enforcement associations and unions, city attorneys, county prosecutors, people impacted by police misconduct, policing experts, and police accountability advocates. The act takes effect immediately upon enactment and explicitly excludes the Washington Department of Corrections and the Washington State Patrol from the definitions of local corrections agency and local law enforcement agency, respectively. The extracted material references external statutes (RCW 43.10.030(1) and RCW 10.93.020) and the “office of independent investigations” but does not reproduce their texts or define how the new sections integrate with existing numbering and provisions in chapter 43.10 RCW; those details are therefore uncertain from the provided excerpts.

If enacted, the state attorney general would take on a much larger direct oversight role over county and city police and jails, with the practical effect that local agencies should expect investigations that can lead to court-ordered reforms with firm timelines, monetary damages, and legal bills. Local law enforcement and corrections agencies will likely face increased costs for legal defense, compliance work (policy changes, training, and operational adjustments to meet timelines), and potential payments if they fail to meet court-ordered deadlines; public employers’ ability to negotiate around these requirements will be constrained because collective bargaining cannot conflict with the new oversight rules during a contract’s term. The attorney general’s office will need more investigative and litigation resources to carry out these duties, while federal DOJ coordination and consultation with the state Office of Independent Investigations may prevent overlapping actions but also creates procedural steps that could delay or limit some remedies. Important details are unclear from the provided text, including the exact standards for finding violations, how the AG’s authority will interact in practice with ongoing DOJ investigations, and how the new model policy will be enforced, so the real-world scope and frequency of interventions could vary.