SHB 1969
In CommitteeHouse
Law enf. aviation support
Concerning the law enforcement aviation support grant program.
This status may be delayed. See Action History below for the latest updates.
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 establishes a new law enforcement aviation support grant program to fund local law enforcement helicopter units and expands existing wildfire aviation support for fire departments and sheriff’s offices. It also updates reporting and eligibility rules for using state funds to support aerial fire suppression during initial attack on wildland fires.
- Creates a new law enforcement aviation support grant program administered by the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to provide funding to local law enforcement rotary-wing (helicopter) aviation units.
- Requires DNR to work with a statewide association of law enforcement executives to identify and recognize eligible local aviation units that provide statewide support, regardless of jurisdiction boundaries.
- Allocates 50% of annual appropriations equally among recognized units for routine operations—including pilot/crew pay, maintenance, fuel, training, and insurance—and allows reimbursement for search-and-rescue mission costs (e.g., fuel, maintenance, crew time) with no reimbursement for depreciation.
- Amends existing wildfire aviation support rules to clarify eligibility for suppression funding, requiring local agencies to have signed response agreements, trained personnel, and use only approved aircraft or agency-owned/leased aircraft.
- Extends the expiration date of the existing wildfire aviation support statutes to July 1, 2027, and requires DNR to submit an annual report to the legislature on aviation use, funding, and lessons learned.
- Includes a directive that all funds must supplement—not replace existing local funding for aviation units.
Who is affected
- Local law enforcement aviation support units — Local law enforcement agencies with rotary-wing (helicopter) aviation units that provide support across jurisdictions; they become eligible for grant funding to cover operational costs and reimbursement for search-and-rescue missions.
- Local fire departments and sheriff's offices — Fire departments and sheriff's offices that respond to wildland fires; they gain clearer access to state-funded aviation support for initial fire attack, contingent on meeting training and coordination requirements.
- Washington State Patrol — The Washington State Patrol’s aviation section; it receives leftover funds after other program requirements are met, to support its own aviation operations.
- General public (especially in rural or high-risk areas) — Residents of rural and fire-prone areas who benefit from faster, more effective emergency response using aviation resources during wildfires or search-and-rescue operations.
Pro/Con Analysis
Stronger case for benefits
Potential Benefits (5)
The bill establishes a new grant program to fund rotary-wing aviation units for law enforcement—including pilot/crew pay, maintenance, fuel, training, and search-and-rescue reimbursements—directly enhancing emergency response capacity in rural and underserved areas where air support is critical for timely life-saving interventions.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2), Sec. 1(3), Sec. 1(4)By clarifying eligibility criteria for wildfire aviation support (e.g., signed response agreements, trained personnel, direct coordination), the bill improves predictability and speed of air response during initial fire attack, which is proven to reduce fire growth and property loss—especially in fire-prone rural communities.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 2(2)(a)-(e), Sec. 3, Sec. 4(5)Mandating annual legislative reports on aviation use, funding, and operational lessons learned improves transparency and enables evidence-based policy adjustments—helping prevent future tragedies caused by delayed or ineffective air response during wildfires.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 3: Annual reporting and lessons-learned requirementsThe bill’s framing and provisions aim to reduce reliance on costly state/federal mobilization by enabling faster local response—potentially saving millions in emergency response costs and reducing strain on broader emergency systems during peak fire season.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 4(3), Sec. 4(5): Legislative findings emphasizing prevention of state mobilization through local aviation useAllowing units to serve any jurisdiction when available—without financial obligation on the requesting party—promotes regional cooperation and fills gaps in coverage, especially benefiting sparsely populated or remote areas with limited local resources.
Public SafetyPeopleRef: Sec. 1(2): Recognition of units that provide statewide support regardless of jurisdiction boundaries
Potential Concerns (5)
The bill mandates that 50% of annual appropriations be equally distributed among recognized law enforcement aviation units, regardless of need, size, or jurisdictional population served. This flat allocation may underfund smaller or less-resourced units while overfunding units in wealthier jurisdictions with existing robust funding, distorting equitable resource distribution.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(3), Sec. 1(5)The 'supplement-not-supplant' requirement may disincentivize local governments from reducing their own spending on aviation units, as doing so would risk losing eligibility or future funding—effectively locking in existing spending patterns and potentially inflating local budgets rather than reallocating resources more efficiently.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(6): 'Funds awarded pursuant to this section must be used to supplement, not supplant, existing local funding for aviation support units.'By restricting eligibility to only sheriff’s office-owned or -leased aircraft (and not contracted or shared resources), the bill may exclude rural counties that rely on cost-effective regional partnerships or private contractors—disadvantaging smaller jurisdictions and limiting economies of scale.
Business & EmploymentRef: Sec. 2(2)(c)(ii): Requires sheriff's offices to use only aircraft 'owned or leased by the sheriff's office' for aviation support in initial fire attack.Excluding depreciation from reimbursable costs places a disproportionate financial burden on local units that operate older aircraft, potentially discouraging fleet modernization and incentivizing continued use of outdated, less safe, or less efficient equipment.
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(4): Reimbursable search-and-rescue costs exclude depreciation.The automatic rollover of unused funds to the State Patrol creates a structural bias toward centralization and may reduce accountability for program efficiency, as local units have no incentive to stay under budget (since unspent funds don’t return to them or their communities).
Local GovernmentRef: Sec. 1(5): Leftover funds each fiscal year go to Washington State Patrol aviation section.
Who Is Most Affected
Local law enforcement aviation units—especially those in rural counties—gain access to critical operational funding they previously lacked. However, units in high-cost or high-population areas may still be underfunded due to the equal-apportionment model, and all units face restrictions on depreciation reimbursement and equipment modernization.
Fire departments and sheriff’s offices gain clearer, more reliable access to state-funded aviation for initial fire attack—but only if they meet new requirements (e.g., response agreements, training, aircraft ownership/leasing). Smaller agencies may struggle with compliance costs, while larger or better-resourced agencies benefit most.
The Washington State Patrol gains leftover funding annually, strengthening its aviation capacity. This benefits the Patrol operationally but may reduce accountability for program efficiency and could crowd out local needs over time if unspent funds become routine.
Residents of rural, fire-prone, or mountainous areas benefit significantly from faster emergency response and reduced fire spread. However, urban residents see little direct benefit, and all residents may indirectly bear costs if local governments maintain or increase spending due to the supplement-not-supplant requirement.
Private helicopter contractors and aviation service providers may see reduced opportunities, as the bill restricts sheriff’s office use to only owned/leased aircraft and prioritizes DNR-approved contractors only for fire departments—limiting competitive bidding and potentially raising costs for local agencies.