HOUSE BILL REPORT

 

 

                                   SSB 5234

                            As Amended by the House

 

 

BYSenate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Pullen, Talmadge, Madsen, Rasmussen, Sutherland and Gaspard; by request of Washington State Patrol)

 

 

Revising provisions for the criminal identification system.

 

 

House Committe on Judiciary

 

Majority Report:  Do pass with amendments.  (15)

      Signed by Representatives Appelwick, Chair; Crane, Vice Chair; Padden, Ranking Republican Member; Belcher, Dellwo, Hargrove, Inslee, P. King, R. Meyers, Moyer, H. Myers, Patrick, Schmidt, Scott and Tate.

 

      House Staff:Regina Jones

 

 

                        AS PASSED HOUSE MARCH 29, 1989

 

BACKGROUND:

 

In 1987, the Legislature authorized the Washington State Patrol criminal identification system to provide background information on prospective employees and volunteers to businesses and organizations which provide services to children or developmentally disabled persons. Upon the request of such a business or organization, the State Patrol will provide information on the applicant's conviction records, civil child abuse adjudications and disciplinary board final decisions. For specified purposes, the State Patrol may also disclose this information to the State Board of Education, law enforcement agencies and the Department of Social and Health Services.

 

An applicant must be notified that conviction record information may be requested from the State Patrol. The applicant is required to make certain disclosures in writing and under oath concerning conviction record information. The business or organization requesting the conviction record information must provide the applicant with a copy of the State Patrol's response.  This information may only be used by the business or organization in making an initial employment decision. Further dissemination of this information is prohibited. If no information is found, an identification declaring the showing of no evidence is issued to the applicant. This identification satisfies future background check requirements for the applicant.

 

SUMMARY:

 

The definition of "conviction record" is amended to track the Washington State Criminal Privacy Act definition. The definition of "persons" against whom crimes can be committed is modified to specifically include children.

 

Several crimes are added to the list of offenses which are reported by the criminal identification system.

 

Provisions requiring disclosure by the criminal identification system of disciplinary board final decisions involving a prospective employee are amended to also require disclosure of any subsequent criminal charges relating to those disciplinary board proceedings.

 

An identification declaring the showing of no evidence must be issued by the State Patrol within 14 working days of the request for conviction record information.  This identification will satisfy future background check requirements for a two-year period.

 

Fiscal Note:      Not Requested.

 

House Committee ‑ Testified For:    None Presented.

 

House Committee - Testified Against:      None Presented.

 

House Committee - Testimony For:    None Presented.

 

House Committee - Testimony Against:      None Presented.