Z-0347.1  _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 1052

          _______________________________________________

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Representatives O'Brien and Ballasiotes

 

Read first time 01/12/2001.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

Incorporating amendments into the reorganized chapter 9.94A RCW.


    AN ACT Relating to reorganization of, and technical, clarifying, nonsubstantive amendments to, community supervision and sentencing provisions; amending RCW 9.94A.660 and 9.94A.715; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.145; reenacting RCW 9.94A.120; creating new sections; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  It is the intent of the legislature to incorporate into the reorganization of chapter 9.94A RCW adopted by chapter 28, Laws of 2000 amendments adopted to RCW 9.94A.120 during the 2000 legislative session that did not take cognizance of the reorganization.  In addition, it is the intent of the legislature to correct any additional incorrect cross-references and to simplify the codification of provisions within chapter 9.94A RCW.

    The legislature does not intend to make, and no provision of this act may be construed as making, a substantive change in the sentencing reform act.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 9.94A.120 and 2000 c 226 s 2, 2000 c 43 s 1, and 2000 c 28 s 5 are each reenacted to read as follows:

    (1) When a person is convicted of a felony, the court shall impose punishment as provided in this chapter.

    (2)(a) The court shall impose a sentence as provided in the following sections and as applicable in the case:

    (i) Unless another term of confinement applies, the court shall impose a sentence within the standard sentence range established in RCW 9.94A.310;

    (ii) RCW 9.94A.700 and 9.94A.705, relating to community placement;

    (iii) RCW 9.94A.710 and 9.94A.715, relating to community custody;

    (iv) RCW 9.94A.383, relating to community custody for offenders whose term of confinement is one year or less;

    (v) RCW 9.94A.560, relating to persistent offenders;

    (vi) RCW 9.94A.590, relating to mandatory minimum terms;

    (vii) RCW 9.94A.650, relating to the first-time offender waiver;

    (viii) RCW 9.94A.660, relating to the drug offender sentencing alternative;

    (ix) RCW 9.94A.670, relating to the special sex offender sentencing alternative;

    (x) RCW 9.94A.390, relating to exceptional sentences;

    (xi) RCW 9.94A.400, relating to consecutive and concurrent sentences.

    (b) If a standard sentence range has not been established for the offender's crime, the court shall impose a determinate sentence which may include not more than one year of confinement; community service work; until July 1, 2000, a term of community supervision not to exceed one year and on and after July 1, 2000, a term of community custody not to exceed one year, subject to conditions and sanctions as authorized in RCW 9.94A.710 (2) and (3); and/or other legal financial obligations.  The court may impose a sentence which provides more than one year of confinement if the court finds reasons justifying an exceptional sentence as provided in RCW 9.94A.390.

    (3) If the court imposes a sentence requiring confinement of thirty days or less, the court may, in its discretion, specify that the sentence be served on consecutive or intermittent days.  A sentence requiring more than thirty days of confinement shall be served on consecutive days.  Local jail administrators may schedule court-ordered intermittent sentences as space permits.

    (4) If a sentence imposed includes payment of a legal financial obligation, it shall be imposed as provided in RCW 9.94A.140, 9.94A.142, and 9.94A.145.

    (5) Except as provided under RCW 9.94A.140(4) and 9.94A.142(4), a court may not impose a sentence providing for a term of confinement or community supervision, community placement, or community custody which exceeds the statutory maximum for the crime as provided in chapter 9A.20 RCW.

    (6) The sentencing court shall give the offender credit for all confinement time served before the sentencing if that confinement was solely in regard to the offense for which the offender is being sentenced.

    (7) The court shall order restitution as provided in RCW 9.94A.140 and 9.94A.142.

    (8) As a part of any sentence, the court may impose and enforce crime-related prohibitions and affirmative conditions as provided in this chapter.

    (9) The court may order an offender whose sentence includes community placement or community supervision to undergo a mental status evaluation and to participate in available outpatient mental health treatment, if the court finds that reasonable grounds exist to believe that the offender is a mentally ill person as defined in RCW 71.24.025, and that this condition is likely to have influenced the offense.  An order requiring mental status evaluation or treatment must be based on a presentence report and, if applicable, mental status evaluations that have been filed with the court to determine the offender's competency or eligibility for a defense of insanity.  The court may order additional evaluations at a later date if deemed appropriate.

    (10) In any sentence of partial confinement, the court may require the offender to serve the partial confinement in work release, in a program of home detention, on work crew, or in a combined program of work crew and home detention.

    (11) In sentencing an offender convicted of a crime of domestic violence, as defined in RCW 10.99.020, if the offender has a minor child, or if the victim of the offense for which the offender was convicted has a minor child, the court may, as part of any term of community supervision, community placement, or community custody, order the offender to participate in a domestic violence perpetrator program approved under RCW 26.50.150.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 9.94A.145 and 2000 c 226 s 4 and 2000 c 28 s 31 are each reenacted and amended to read as follows:

    (1) Whenever a person is convicted of a felony, the court may order the payment of a legal financial obligation as part of the sentence.  The court must on either the judgment and sentence or on a subsequent order to pay, designate the total amount of a legal financial obligation and segregate this amount among the separate assessments made for restitution, costs, fines, and other assessments required by law.  On the same order, the court is also to set a sum that the offender is required to pay on a monthly basis towards satisfying the legal financial obligation.  If the court fails to set the offender monthly payment amount, the department shall set the amount.  Upon receipt of an offender's monthly payment, restitution shall be paid prior to any payments of other monetary obligations.  After restitution is satisfied, the county clerk shall distribute the payment proportionally among all other fines, costs, and assessments imposed, unless otherwise ordered by the court.

    (2) If the court determines that the offender, at the time of sentencing, has the means to pay for the cost of incarceration, the court may require the offender to pay for the cost of incarceration at a rate of fifty dollars per day of incarceration.  Payment of other court-ordered financial obligations, including all legal financial obligations and costs of supervision shall take precedence over the payment of the cost of incarceration ordered by the court.  All funds recovered from offenders for the cost of incarceration in the county jail shall be remitted to the county and the costs of incarceration in a prison shall be remitted to the department.

    (3) The court may add to the judgment and sentence or subsequent order to pay a statement that a notice of payroll deduction is to be issued immediately.  If the court chooses not to order the immediate issuance of a notice of payroll deduction at sentencing, the court shall add to the judgment and sentence or subsequent order to pay a statement that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued or other income-withholding action may be taken, without further notice to the offender if a monthly court-ordered legal financial obligation payment is not paid when due, and an amount equal to or greater than the amount payable for one month is owed.

    If a judgment and sentence or subsequent order to pay does not include the statement that a notice of payroll deduction may be issued or other income-withholding action may be taken if a monthly legal financial obligation payment is past due, the department may serve a notice on the offender stating such requirements and authorizations.  Service shall be by personal service or any form of mail requiring a return receipt.

    (4) Independent of the department, the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed shall have the authority to use any other remedies available to the party or entity to collect the legal financial obligation.  These remedies include enforcement in the same manner as a judgment in a civil action by the party or entity to whom the legal financial obligation is owed.  Restitution collected through civil enforcement must be paid through the registry of the court and must be distributed proportionately according to each victim's loss when there is more than one victim.  The judgment and sentence shall identify the party or entity to whom restitution is owed so that the state, party, or entity may enforce the judgment.  If restitution is ordered pursuant to RCW 9.94A.140(6) or 9.94A.142(6) to a victim of rape of a child or a victim's child born from the rape, the Washington state child support registry shall be identified as the party to whom payments must be made.  Restitution obligations arising from the rape of a child in the first, second, or third degree that result in the pregnancy of the victim may be enforced for the time periods provided under RCW 9.94A.140(6) and 9.94A.142(6).  All other legal financial obligations for an offense committed prior to July 1, 2000, may be enforced at any time during the ten-year period following the offender's release from total confinement or within ten years of entry of the judgment and sentence, whichever period ends later.  Prior to the expiration of the initial ten-year period, the superior court may extend the criminal judgment an additional ten years for payment of legal financial obligations including crime victims' assessments.  All other legal financial obligations for an offense committed on or after July 1, 2000, may be enforced at any time the offender remains under the court's jurisdiction.  For an offense committed on or after July 1, 2000, the court shall retain jurisdiction over the offender, for purposes of the offender's compliance with payment of the legal financial obligations, until the obligation is completely satisfied, regardless of the statutory maximum for the crime.  The department of corrections shall supervise the offender's compliance with payment of the legal financial obligations for ten years following the entry of the judgment and sentence, or ten years following the offender's release from total confinement, whichever period ends later.  The department is not responsible for supervision of the offender during any subsequent period of time the offender remains under the court's jurisdiction.

    (5) In order to assist the court in setting a monthly sum that the offender must pay during the period of supervision, the offender is required to report to the department for purposes of preparing a recommendation to the court.  When reporting, the offender is required, under oath, to respond truthfully and honestly to all questions concerning present, past, and future earning capabilities and the location and nature of all property or financial assets.  The offender is further required to bring all documents requested by the department.

    (6) After completing the investigation, the department shall make a report to the court on the amount of the monthly payment that the offender should be required to make towards a satisfied legal financial obligation.

    (7) During the period of supervision, the department may make a recommendation to the court that the offender's monthly payment schedule be modified so as to reflect a change in financial circumstances.  If the department sets the monthly payment amount, the department may modify the monthly payment amount without the matter being returned to the court.  During the period of supervision, the department may require the offender to report to the department for the purposes of reviewing the appropriateness of the collection schedule for the legal financial obligation.  During this reporting, the offender is required under oath to respond truthfully and honestly to all questions concerning earning capabilities and the location and nature of all property or financial assets.  The offender shall bring all documents requested by the department in order to prepare the collection schedule.

    (8) After the judgment and sentence or payment order is entered, the department is authorized, for any period of supervision, to collect the legal financial obligation from the offender.  Any amount collected by the department shall be remitted daily to the county clerk for the purpose of disbursements.  The department is authorized to accept credit cards as payment for a legal financial obligation, and any costs incurred related to accepting credit card payments shall be the responsibility of the offender.

    (9) The department or any obligee of the legal financial obligation may seek a mandatory wage assignment for the purposes of obtaining satisfaction for the legal financial obligation pursuant to RCW 9.94A.2001.

    (10) The requirement that the offender pay a monthly sum towards a legal financial obligation constitutes a condition or requirement of a sentence and the offender is subject to the penalties for noncompliance as provided in RCW 9.94A.200, 9.94A.205, or 9.94A.207.

    (11) The county clerk shall provide the department with individualized monthly billings for each offender with an unsatisfied legal financial obligation and shall provide the department with notice of payments by such offenders no less frequently than weekly.

    (12) The department may arrange for the collection of unpaid legal financial obligations through the county clerk, or through another entity if the clerk does not assume responsibility for collection.  The costs for collection services shall be paid by the offender.

    (13) Nothing in this chapter makes the department, the state, or any of its employees, agents, or other persons acting on their behalf liable under any circumstances for the payment of these legal financial obligations.

 

    Sec. 4.  RCW 9.94A.660 and 2000 c 28 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) An offender is eligible for the special drug offender sentencing alternative if:

    (a) The offender is convicted of a felony that is not a violent offense or sex offense and the violation does not involve a sentence enhancement under RCW 9.94A.310 (3) or (4);

    (b) The offender has no current or prior convictions for a sex offense or violent offense in this state, another state, or the United States;

    (c) For a violation of the Uniform Controlled Substances Act under chapter 69.50 RCW or a criminal solicitation to commit such a violation under chapter 9A.28 RCW, the offense involved only a small quantity of the particular controlled substance as determined by the judge upon consideration of such factors as the weight, purity, packaging, sale price, and street value of the controlled substance; and

    (d) The offender has not been found by the United States attorney general to be subject to a deportation detainer or order and does not become subject to a deportation order during the period of the sentence.

    (2) If the standard sentence range is greater than one year and the sentencing court determines that the offender is eligible for this alternative and that the offender and the community will benefit from the use of the alternative, the judge may waive imposition of a sentence within the standard sentence range and impose a sentence that must include a period of total confinement in a state facility for one-half of the midpoint of the standard sentence range.  During incarceration in the state facility, offenders sentenced under this subsection shall undergo a comprehensive substance abuse assessment and receive, within available resources, treatment services appropriate for the offender.  The treatment services shall be designed by the division of alcohol and substance abuse of the department of social and health services, in cooperation with the department of corrections.

    The court shall also impose:

    (a) The remainder of the midpoint of the standard range as a term of community custody which must include appropriate substance abuse treatment in a program that has been approved by the division of alcohol and substance abuse of the department of social and health services;

    (b) Crime-related prohibitions including a condition not to use illegal controlled substances; ((and))

    (c) A requirement to submit to urinalysis or other testing to monitor that status; and

    (d) A term of community custody pursuant to RCW 9.94A.715 to be imposed upon failure to complete or administrative termination from the special drug offender sentencing alternative program.

    The court may prohibit the offender from using alcohol or controlled substances and may require that the monitoring for controlled substances be conducted by the department or by a treatment alternatives to street crime program or a comparable court or agency-referred program.  The offender may be required to pay thirty dollars per month while on community custody to offset the cost of monitoring.  In addition, the court shall impose three or more of the following conditions:

    (i) Devote time to a specific employment or training;

    (ii) Remain within prescribed geographical boundaries and notify the court or the community corrections officer before any change in the offender's address or employment;

    (iii) Report as directed to a community corrections officer;

    (iv) Pay all court-ordered legal financial obligations;

    (v) Perform community service work;

    (vi) Stay out of areas designated by the sentencing court;

    (vii) Such other conditions as the court may require such as affirmative conditions.

    (3) If the offender violates any of the sentence conditions in subsection (2) of this section or is found by the United States attorney general to be subject to a deportation order, a violation hearing shall be held by the department unless waived by the offender.

    (a) If the department finds that conditions have been willfully violated, the offender may be reclassified to serve the remaining balance of the original sentence.

    (b) If the department finds that the offender is subject to a valid deportation order, the department may administratively terminate the offender from the program and reclassify the offender to serve the remaining balance of the original sentence.

    (4) The department shall determine the rules for calculating the value of a day fine based on the offender's income and reasonable obligations which the offender has for the support of the offender and any dependents.  These rules shall be developed in consultation with the administrator for the courts, the office of financial management, and the commission.

    (5) An offender who fails to complete the special drug offender sentencing alternative program or who is administratively terminated from the program shall be reclassified to serve the unexpired term of his or her sentence as ordered by the sentencing court and shall be subject to all rules relating to earned release time.  An offender who violates any conditions of supervision as defined by the department shall be sanctioned.  Sanctions may include, but are not limited to, reclassifying the offender to serve the unexpired term of his or her sentence as ordered by the sentencing court.  If an offender is reclassified to serve the unexpired term of his or her sentence, the offender shall be subject to all rules relating to earned release time.

 

    Sec. 5.  RCW 9.94A.715 and 2000 c 28 s 25 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) When a court sentences a person to the custody of the department for a sex offense, a violent offense, any crime against persons under RCW 9.94A.440(2), or a felony offense under chapter 69.50 or 69.52 RCW ((not sentenced under RCW 9.94A.660)), committed on or after July 1, 2000, the court shall in addition to the other terms of the sentence, sentence the offender to community custody for the community custody range established under RCW 9.94A.040 or up to the period of earned release awarded pursuant to RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2), whichever is longer.  The community custody shall begin ((either)): (a) Upon completion of the term of confinement ((or)); (b) at such time as the offender is transferred to community custody in lieu of earned release in accordance with RCW 9.94A.150 (1) and (2); or (c) with regard to offenders sentenced under RCW 9.94A.660, upon failure to complete or administrative termination from the special drug offender sentencing alternative program.

    (2)(a) Unless a condition is waived by the court, the conditions of community custody shall include those provided for in RCW 9.94A.700(4).  The conditions may also include those provided for in RCW 9.94A.700(5).  The court may also order the offender to participate in rehabilitative programs or otherwise perform affirmative conduct reasonably related to the circumstances of the offense, the offender's risk of reoffending, or the safety of the community, and the department shall enforce such conditions pursuant to subsection (6) of this section.

    (b) As part of any sentence that includes a term of community custody imposed under this subsection, the court shall also require the offender to comply with any conditions imposed by the department under RCW 9.94A.720.  The department shall assess the offender's risk of reoffense and may establish and modify additional conditions of the offender's community custody based upon the risk to community safety.  In addition, the department may require the offender to participate in rehabilitative programs, or otherwise perform affirmative conduct, and to obey all laws.

    (c) The department may not impose conditions that are contrary to those ordered by the court and may not contravene or decrease court imposed conditions.  The department shall notify the offender in writing of any such conditions or modifications.  In setting, modifying, and enforcing conditions of community custody, the department shall be deemed to be performing a quasi-judicial function.

    (3) If an offender violates conditions imposed by the court or the department pursuant to this section during community custody, the department may transfer the offender to a more restrictive confinement status and impose other available sanctions as provided in RCW 9.94A.205 and 9.94A.207.

    (4) Except for terms of community custody under RCW 9.94A.670, the department shall discharge the offender from community custody on a date determined by the department, which the department may modify, based on risk and performance of the offender, within the range or at the end of the period of earned release, whichever is later.

    (5) At any time prior to the completion or termination of a sex offender's term of community custody, if the court finds that public safety would be enhanced, the court may impose and enforce an order extending any or all of the conditions imposed pursuant to this section for a period up to the maximum allowable sentence for the crime as it is classified in chapter 9A.20 RCW, regardless of the expiration of the offender's term of community custody.  If a violation of a condition extended under this subsection occurs after the expiration of the offender's term of community custody, it shall be deemed a violation of the sentence for the purposes of RCW 9.94A.195 and may be punishable as contempt of court as provided for in RCW 7.21.040.  If the court extends a condition beyond the expiration of the term of community custody, the department is not responsible for supervision of the offender's compliance with the condition.

    (6) Within the funds available for community custody, the department shall determine conditions and duration of community custody on the basis of risk to community safety, and shall supervise offenders during community custody on the basis of risk to community safety and conditions imposed by the court.  The secretary shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this subsection.

    (7) By the close of the next business day after receiving notice of a condition imposed or modified by the department, an offender may request an administrative review under rules adopted by the department.  The condition shall remain in effect unless the reviewing officer finds that it is not reasonably related to any of the following:  (a) The crime of conviction; (b) the offender's risk of reoffending; or (c) the safety of the community.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 6.  The code reviser shall recodify sections within chapter 9.94A RCW, and correct any cross-references to any such recodified sections, as necessary to simplify the organization of chapter 9.94A RCW.

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 7.  This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2001.

 


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