H-807                _______________________________________________

                                                    HOUSE BILL NO. 473

                        _______________________________________________

State of Washington                              49th Legislature                              1985 Regular Session

By Representatives Niemi, Lewis, Locke, Allen, Wang, Jacobsen, Smitherman, Armstrong, J. King, Appelwick, Sayan, Brekke, Fisher, Belcher, Brough, Cole, D. Nelson, Sommers, Grimm, Unsoeld, Leonard, Lux, Ebersole, Addison, Winsley, May, Holland, Tanner and Wineberry

Read first time 2/4/85 and referred to Committee on Judiciary.

AN ACT Relating to malicious harassment; and amending RCW 9A.36.080.

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

        Sec. 1.  Section 1, chapter 267, Laws of 1981 as amended by section 1, chapter 268, Laws of 1984 and RCW 9A.36.080 are each amended to read as follows:

          (1) A person is guilty of malicious harassment if ((he)) the person maliciously and with the intent to intimidate or harass another person because of that person's race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, age, sexual orientation, sex, or mental, physical, or sensory handicap:

          (a) Causes physical injury to another person; or

          (b) By words or conduct places another person in reasonable fear of harm to his or her person or property or harm to the person or property of a third person:  PROVIDED, HOWEVER, That it shall not constitute malicious harassment for a person to speak or act in a critical, insulting, or deprecatory way so long as his or her words or actions do not constitute a threat of harm to the body or property of another person; or

          (c) Causes physical damage to or destruction of the property of another person.

          (2) Malicious harassment is a class C felony.

          (3) In addition to the criminal penalty provided in subsection (2) of this section, there is hereby created a civil cause of action for malicious harassment.  A person may be liable to the victim of malicious harassment for actual damages and punitive damages of up to ten thousand dollars.

          (4) The penalties provided in this section for malicious harassment do not preclude the victims from seeking any other remedies otherwise available under law.