A Washington House committee has advanced legislation that would allow some noncitizens who are legally authorized to live and work in the United States to serve as law enforcement officers and deputy prosecutors. The measure, House Bill 2030, cleared the House Committee on Community Safety, Justice & Reentry in February 2024. According to the bill text, the proposal applies to lawful permanent residents and other individuals with federal authorization to work in the country.

According to reporting by The Reflector, the committee vote moved the bill forward for broader consideration in the Legislature. The legislation was sponsored by Rep. Julia Reed, who argued during the 2024 session that the change would align hiring rules for law enforcement and prosecutors with federal employment eligibility standards.

Primary legislative records from the Washington State Legislature show that the bill’s provisions would remove a requirement that officers and deputy prosecutors be U.S. citizens. State law currently limits those roles to citizens, even though federal law allows noncitizens with lawful work authorization to serve in a wide range of public positions.

Local governments in Southwest Washington could encounter practical implications if HB 2030 were to become law. Police departments in Cowlitz County, like others statewide, have faced ongoing recruitment pressures in recent years. Opening eligibility to lawful permanent residents could expand applicant pools for agencies serving Longview, Kelso, and other communities along the I‑5 corridor. The bill does not change training or certification standards; under state law, all officers must still meet Washington Criminal Justice Training Commission requirements.

The Reflector’s reporting indicates that supporters framed the bill as an update to outdated legal language, while opponents in the 2024 session raised concerns about the scope of authority granted to noncitizen officers. Legislative deliberations at that time focused on whether the state should maintain a citizenship requirement for roles that carry arrest powers and prosecutorial discretion.

As of publication, HB 2030 reflects the Legislature’s 2024 committee action and has not been reported as enacted into law. Any future movement would depend on lawmakers taking it up in a subsequent session.

Why this matters

If revived in a future legislative session, HB 2030 could influence public‑safety staffing options across Southwest Washington. For Cowlitz County, where multiple jurisdictions compete for a limited number of qualified applicants, even modest expansions of eligibility criteria may affect recruitment pipelines. The bill also engages a broader statewide discussion about aligning state-level hiring rules with federal work authorization standards.

Sources