The bill creates a new law by adding a section to chapter 38.52 RCW that establishes a law enforcement aviation support grant program to be developed and implemented by “the department,” subject to amounts appropriated. It requires the department to use a statewide association of law enforcement executives to identify and recognize local law enforcement rotary wing aviation support units that provide aviation support to reachable jurisdictions without a financial obligation by the requesting jurisdiction, and to equally distribute 50% of annual appropriations among those recognized units. Awarded funds are to be used to maintain and operate rotary wing aviation support units (examples listed include pilot and crew costs, aircraft maintenance, upgrades, acquisition, insurance, fuel, training, and other necessary operating expenses), and remaining annual amounts must be available to reimburse recognized units for allowable search and rescue mission or training mission costs (fuel, maintenance, pilot and crew costs; depreciation is not reimbursable). Any fiscal year amounts left after a reasonable opportunity to submit unreimbursed search and rescue costs must be awarded to the aviation section of the Washington State Patrol, and funds must supplement, not supplant, existing local funding. The bill sets qualification requirements for units to receive grants or reimbursements: units must have issued and implemented policies and practices consistent with RCW 43.17.425, RCW 10.93.160, and the Office of the Attorney General’s Keep Washington Working Act guide, model policies, and training recommendations. It defines “rotary wing aviation” for the section as helicopters carrying human operators and explicitly excludes unmanned aerial vehicles. The bill also specifies that refueling is not considered a financial obligation of a requesting jurisdiction. Several procedural and substantive details are not provided in the extracted text. The bill repeatedly refers to “the department” but does not identify which department; the identity or formal definition of the statewide association of law enforcement executives is not given; total appropriation amounts and the appropriation process are not included; formulas or procedures for how “equal distribution” is calculated or how many units will share funds are not specified; the meaning and deadline of “reasonable opportunity to submit” are not defined; and no administrative, reporting, oversight, or audit requirements are described. The act is contingent on specific funding being provided in the omnibus appropriations act referencing this act by June 30, 2026, otherwise it is null and void.

If the Legislature funds this new program, local law enforcement helicopter units that are officially recognized will receive half of the annual appropriation split equally to help pay everyday operating costs (pilot and crew pay, maintenance, upgrades or acquisition, insurance, fuel, training and similar expenses). From the remaining money the department will reimburse recognized units for search and rescue missions and training (fuel, maintenance, pilot/crew costs) but not aircraft depreciation, and any leftover after reasonable opportunities to claim reimbursements will go to the Washington State Patrol’s aviation section. The law requires units to adopt specific policy and training standards to qualify and states that any awards must supplement, not replace, existing local funding; it also makes clear that refueling is not treated as a financial obligation of a requesting jurisdiction. The people most affected are local law enforcement rotary wing units, which could see reduced local budget pressure for operating and SAR costs but will need to satisfy recognition criteria and submit claims to get reimbursed, creating some administrative work; the Washington State Patrol aviation section could receive unclaimed year‑end funds. Key unknowns that could delay or limit impact are not identified in this text: which state department will run the program, how much money will be appropriated, how “equal distribution” or the timeline for submitting SAR claims will be handled, and whether the Legislature provides the appropriation by June 30, 2026 (if not, the act is void).