FINAL BILL REPORT

                 SHB 1511

                          C 1 L 91

                     Synopsis As Enacted

Brief Description:  Restricting disclosure of public records containing addresses of victims of domestic violence.

By House Committee on Appropriations (originally sponsored by Representatives Anderson, Silver, Pruitt, Winsley, Leonard, Riley, Beck, H. Myers, R. King, Wynne, Van Luven, Ludwig, Orr, Brekke, Roland and Brough).

House Committee on State Government

House Committee on Appropriations

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  During the 1990 Regular Session, the Public Disclosure Law was amended to generally restrict state and local government agencies from disclosing address records of persons who request that the records be maintained as confidential because disclosure would endanger them or their property.  Notwithstanding its broad scope, this law was designed primarily for victims of domestic violence who need assistance in maintaining address confidentiality to reduce the risk of additional victimization by their assaultive spouses or former domestic partners.

After state and local agencies and some business groups expressed concerns that the law was too broad and not workable, the Legislature, in the 1990 Special Session, amended the law to postpone its effective date to March 1, 1991.  The postponement was intended to enable the Legislature to enact a remedial law early in the 1991 Regular Session, before the March 1st effective date.

Summary:  The March 1, 1991 effective date of the 1990 law restricting state and local government disclosure of certain address records is again postponed to April 19, 1991.  (See SB 5906, in which the Legislature enacted the remedial law.)

Votes on Final Passage:

House  92   0

Senate 48   0    (Senate amended)

House  93   0    (House concurred)

Effective:    March 1, 1991