Senate Bill 6246, making 2016 supplemental operating appropriations. Passed the Senate on Friday, Feb. 26 by a vote p 25-22 two members excused.

This is the Senate version of the supplemental budget for the 2015-17 biennium, It would add some $49 million in additional spending to the existing $38.2 billion state budget, including $6.6 million for charter schools, without raising taxes. The House plan, passed earlier, would spend an additional $476 million and rely on $120 million in new taxes. House and Senate negotiators now have six days left until adjournment of the regular session to iron out the differences between their respective proposals.

This bill, which passed the House unanimously in February, doubles the penalties for driving-under-the-influence (DUI) violations. Current law makes a fifth conviction for DUI within 10 years a Class C felony, carrying a maximum of five years in prison, a $10,000 fine or both. Under this bill, a fifth DUI conviction is a Class B felony, with a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, a $ 20,000 fine or both. The measure is now headed to the Governor for his signature.

This bill allows persons with criminal records access to occupational licenses from which they are currently barred. It creates a process for granting a Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity, and prohibits state and local governments from disqualifying an applicant for a license to engage in certain professions solely on the person’s criminal history. The bill passed the House unanimously in February, and the Senate added some restrictions, such as excluding those with convictions for the most serious offenses.

This bill creates a task force on the use of deadly force in community policing standards to protect the public, as well as members of law enforcement who may be faced with the need to use deadly force. The task force will be required to review laws, practices, and training programs regarding the use of deadly force; current policies, practices, and tools used by or otherwise available to law enforcement as an alternative to lethal uses of force; and proposals for modifications to the statutory standards for justifiable homicide and criminal liability. The bill passed unanimously in the House on February 16th.

This bill directs state agencies to implement the recommendations of the Washington State Patrol Trooper Recruitment and Retention Study released earlier this year, including making officers’ pay competitive with that of other law enforcement agencies. The bill specifies that state patrol trooper salaries must meet the average compensation paid to officers of corresponding rank at six other law enforcement agencies around the state, including the Seattle and Spokane Police Departments.