SENATE BILL REPORT

ESSB 6143

As Passed Senate, April 11, 2001

Title:  An act relating to community notification for risk level III sex and kidnapping offenders.

Brief Description:  Requiring publication of level III sex and kidnapping offender notifications.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Human Services & Corrections (originally sponsored by Senators T. Sheldon, Hargrove, Long, Costa, Roach, Snyder, McCaslin, Spanel, Winsley, Gardner, Eide, Zarelli, Rossi, Benton, Hochstatter, Swecker, Kastama, Shin, Patterson, Kline, Fraser, McAuliffe and Rasmussen).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  4/5/01 [DPS].

Passed Senate:  4/11/01, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6143 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Carlson, Franklin, Hewitt, Kastama, Kohl‑Welles, Long and Stevens.

Staff:  Edith Rice (786‑7444)

Background:  In reviewing the community notification provisions for registered sex offenders, it became clear after a recent event that there are ways in which the current notification requirements may be insufficient to adequately notify the public.

Summary of Bill:  The county sheriff must submit level III sex offender community notifications to at least one legal newspaper with general circulation in the area of the sex offender's registered address or location.  The newspaper must have a policy to print all statutorily required notices in order to be qualified as a legal newspaper.  A current list of level III registered sex offenders must be published twice yearly.  The county sheriff must also maintain a list of level III sex offenders on a publicly accessible web site and update it at least monthly.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  Families, schools, law enforcement personnel and communities need to know where these offenders are in order to prevent future tragedies.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Senator Tim Sheldon (pro); John Osborn, parent (pro); Gary Crane, Mason County Sheriff's Office (pro); Mike Frank, Mason County Sheriff's Office (pro); Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington, (pro); Larry Erickson, Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (pro).