OLYMPIA, Wash. – A bill loosening restrictions on police pursuits in Washington state is on its way to the governor’s desk.

Governor Jay Inslee has indicated that he will sign the legislation that reduces the standard for police to initiate a pursuit from “probable cause” to “reasonable suspicion” that a person committed a crime.

The crimes in which a pursuit is allowed are still limited to a violent crime, domestic or sex offense, an escape or DUI.

The Washington State Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs welcomed the reform but said more needs to be done.

The Washington Coalition for Police Accountability lobbied for the tighter restrictions on chases and other police tactics in a law passed in 2021.

A spokesperson for the group says that law has been scapegoated for a recent rise in crime.