| Passed by the Senate March 8, 2005 YEAS 46 BRAD OWEN ________________________________________ President of the Senate Passed by the House April 5, 2005 YEAS 95 FRANK CHOPP ________________________________________ Speaker of the House of Representatives | I, Thomas Hoemann, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5453 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. THOMAS HOEMANN ________________________________________ Secretary | |
| Approved April 21, 2005. CHRISTINE GREGOIRE ________________________________________ Governor of the State of Washington | April 21, 2005 - 3:55 p.m. Secretary of State State of Washington |
| State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
Read first time 01/25/2005. Referred to Committee on Judiciary.
AN ACT Relating to civil immunity of radio and television broadcasting organizations participating in the Amber alert system; and adding a new section to chapter 4.24 RCW.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION. Sec. 1 A new section is added to chapter 4.24 RCW
to read as follows:
No cause of action shall be maintained for civil damages in any
court of this state against any radio or television broadcasting
station or cable television system, or the employees, officers,
directors, managers, or agents of the radio or television broadcasting
station or cable television system, based on the broadcast of
information including, but not limited to, the name or description of
an abducted child, the name or description of a suspected abductor, and
the circumstances of an abduction supplied by law enforcement officials
pursuant to the voluntary broadcast notification system commonly known
as the "Amber alert," or as the same system may otherwise be known in
this state, which is used to notify the public of missing or abducted
children. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or
restrict in any way any immunity or privilege a radio or television
broadcasting station or cable television system may have under statute
or common law for broadcasting or otherwise disseminating information.