Inslee signs first bill of session into law

Substitute House Bill 1064, adds training requirements for law enforcement officers to de-escalate situations and expands training in the areas of mental health and first aid to help avoid the use of deadly force.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee signs the first bill of the 2019 legislative session Monday, Feb. 4, at a ceremony in the State Reception Room in Olympia. Substitute House Bill 1064, adds training requirements for law enforcement officers to de-escalate situations and expands training in the areas of mental health and first aid to help avoid the use of deadly force. The law contains an emergency clause and takes effect immediately.

“This bill which passed unanimously in both chambers doesn’t fix everything,” Inslee said. “Far from it. But it is a start and it is a message that when people listen to each other and open their hearts to each other, justice can move forward.”

Photo by Sean Harding | Washington Newspaper Publishers Association