SHB 1498
SignedHouse
Domestic viol. co-responders
Concerning domestic violence co-responder programs.
How does a bill become law?
- Introduced: The bill is filed and assigned a number.
- Committee: A subject-matter committee holds hearings, takes public testimony, and decides whether to advance the bill.
- Floor Vote: The full chamber (House or Senate) debates and votes on the bill.
- Opposite Chamber: The bill repeats the committee and floor vote process in the other chamber.
- Governor: The Governor reviews the bill and decides whether to sign or veto it.
- Signed: The bill has been signed into law.
AI Analysis
This bill creates a new state fund and grant program to support domestic violence co-responder programs—where trained victim advocates respond with police to domestic violence scenes to help victims and their families. It also adds a $100 fee to the marriage license application to help pay for the program.
- Creates the domestic violence co-responder account in the state treasury, into which a new $100 marriage license fee will be deposited.
- Establishes the domestic violence co-responder grant program, administered by the Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, to provide matching grants to cities and counties for co-responder programs.
- Defines a domestic violence co-responder program as one that deploys trained victim advocates to respond with law enforcement to domestic violence incidents to provide whole-family support, resource connection, and care navigation.
- Requires grant funds to be used for program operations, technical assistance, training, and supporting grantees in billing health insurance for services provided.
- Amends RCW 36.18.010 to add a $100 fee to the marriage license fee, dedicated to the domestic violence co-responder account.
Who is affected
- Counties and cities — Counties and cities that apply for and receive grants to establish or operate domestic violence co-responder programs, which include hiring or deploying victim advocates to respond with law enforcement to domestic violence incidents.
- Domestic violence victims and their families — Victims of domestic violence and their families, who gain access to immediate support, resource connections, and care navigation through co-responder programs at the scene of an incident.
- Law enforcement agencies — Law enforcement agencies, who gain trained advocates to assist with on-scene support for victims, potentially improving case outcomes and reducing retraumatization.
- Marriage license applicants — Marriage license applicants, who will pay a new $100 fee at the time of applying for a marriage license, which goes into a dedicated state account to fund domestic violence co-responder programs.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (3)
Creates a direct, on-scene support system for domestic violence victims by deploying trained advocates alongside law enforcement — improving immediate safety, reducing retraumatization, and increasing access to critical resources like shelter, counseling, and legal aid at the time of crisis.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(3); Sec. 2(2)(a)Funds training, technical assistance, and health insurance billing support for co-responder programs — enabling sustainable service delivery and reducing long-term reliance on emergency rooms and crisis services by addressing trauma early.
HealthcarePeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)(b); Sec. 2(2)(c)Supports whole-family response, which includes housing stabilization assistance (e.g., emergency shelter, relocation) — helping victims escape unsafe living situations and reduce homelessness risk, especially for survivors with children.
HousingPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)
Potential Concerns (3)
Imposes a $100 fee on all marriage license applicants, effectively creating a user fee that applies regardless of income, marital status, or direct benefit from the program — this disproportionately affects low- and middle-income couples applying for licenses, especially those already facing financial strain from wedding-related expenses.
FinancialIndustryRef: Sec. 3(d)Requires grantees (local governments) to bill health insurance for co-responder services, which may divert administrative resources and create compliance burdens for small counties with limited staff and billing infrastructure — potentially delaying service delivery or increasing operational costs.
Business & EmploymentLean industryRef: Sec. 2(2)(c)Matching grant structure may disadvantage smaller or fiscally strained counties that lack the local funds to match state grants, effectively limiting program access to wealthier jurisdictions and exacerbating service disparities across the state.
Local GovernmentLean industryRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)
Who Is Most Affected
Victims and their families gain immediate, trauma-informed support at the scene of violence — improving safety, reducing psychological harm, and increasing access to services. However, impact depends on program availability in their jurisdiction, and rural or underserved areas may still face gaps in coverage.
Counties and cities that receive grants can expand victim services and improve interagency coordination — but smaller or poorer jurisdictions may be unable to meet matching requirements, limiting their access and potentially widening service inequities across the state.
Law enforcement gains a critical partner in de-escalation and victim support, potentially reducing officer trauma and improving case outcomes — but departments in non-granting jurisdictions will see no change, and the program does not address systemic issues like over-policing or racial bias in domestic violence responses.
All marriage license applicants must pay the $100 fee, which is regressive — low-income couples (especially those on public assistance or living paycheck to paycheck) bear a higher relative burden, while wealthier applicants are less affected. The fee is not means-tested or optional.