SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5140

              As Passed Senate, January 17, 1996

Title:  An act relating to drug‑free zones in publicly owned or publicly operated civic centers.

Brief Description:  Authorizing municipalities to declare certain public places drug‑free zones.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Kohl, Smith, Winsley, Pelz, Roach, Prentice, Schow, Heavey, McAuliffe, C. Anderson, Fairley, Sheldon, Prince, West, Haugen, Bauer, Oke and Palmer).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  1/24/95, 2/1/95 [DPS]; 1/9/96 [DP].

Passed Senate, 3/1/95, 48-0; 1/17/96, 47-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Smith, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Goings, Haugen, Johnson, Long, McCaslin, Quigley, Roach and Schow.

Staff:  Martin Lovinger (786-7443)

Background:  Current law declares a number of locations to be drug-free zones.  In these zones the penalties for drug-related crimes are doubled.  The locations covered by this law are schools, school bus stops, public parks, and public transit vehicles and shelters.

A number of publicly-owned and publicly-operated places are used primarily for recreational, educational or cultural purposes.  However, some of these facilities are neither schools nor public parks.  As a result, they are not eligible for designation as drug-free zones.

Summary of Bill:  Publicly-owned and publicly-operated civic centers  designated by a local governing authority as drug-free zones are added as a new category to the current list of places where the penalties for drug-related crimes are doubled.  Local governing authorities may also designate a 1,000 foot perimeter around such facilities as drug-free zones. 

Civic centers are defined for this act as publicly-owned or publicly-operated places and facilities used primarily for recreational, educational or cultural purposes.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  Drug crimes contribute to the decay of neighborhoods.  The facilities covered by this bill deserve the same protection as public parks.  Drug-free zones have been effective in reducing drug dealing near children.  The Seattle Center, which would be eligible for drug-free zone status under this bill, attracts 8 million visitors each year, many of them children and teenagers.  Large crowds attract drug dealers looking for customers.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified:  Senator Kohl, original prime sponsor; Bruce Rooney, Deputy Director, Seattle Center (pro).