OLYMPIA, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A proposed bill seeks to prevent law enforcement from obscuring their identity while on the job.
If passed, SB 5855 would prohibit anyone in law enforcement to wear an item that would obscure their face.
The bill listed balaclavas, tactical masks, gators and ski masks among other items as prohibited items.
Masks meant for medical protection or respirators and translucent face shields would still be allowed under the proposed rule. Federal agents would not be exempt from the rule if passed as the original bill states.
The Associated Press reports California instituted a similar law in September, with plans for the law to go into effect in 2026.
The California law sparked a lawsuit from the Trump administration last month as other states around the country consider instituting similar rules.
