FINAL BILL REPORT

                                   2SSB 5167

                                  C 234 L 91

                              SYNOPSIS AS ENACTED

Brief Description:  Amending the juvenile justice act.

SPONSORS:Senate Committee on Ways & Means (originally sponsored by Senators Nelson, Rasmussen, Newhouse, Stratton, Roach, Niemi and Talmadge).

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

SENATE COMMITTEE ON WAYS & MEANS

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY

BACKGROUND:

The state's juvenile justice system was reformed in 1977 with the passage of a new juvenile justice code.  The reforms involved proportionate decision-making standards for intake and sentencing, the provision of full due process rights, and the elimination of all court jurisdiction over noncriminal behavior.  For sentencing purposes, juvenile offenders are assigned points based on their age, criminal history, and current offense and are categorized as minor or first offenders, middle offenders, or serious offenders. 

Many officials who work in the juvenile justice system have recommended a review of the system.

SUMMARY:

A Juvenile Issues Task Force is created to review past legislation and study issues pertinent to juveniles.  The task force is to issue a report and make recommendations to the Legislature by December 15, 1991.  The task force has 32 members; ten members are legislators, two of which serve as co-chairs with a third co-chair appointed by the Governor.  The remainder of the task force, appointed by the Governor, includes a variety of professionals and citizens involved in juvenile justice issues.  The task force is to be funded by the Department of Social and Health Services and staffed by personnel available from the membership of the task force.

The Governor is to ensure that the racial diversity of the Governor's appointments to the task force reflects the racial diversity of the juveniles served by the state.  If funding is provided in the budget, DSHS, in cooperation with the Commission on African American Affairs, is to contract for an independent study of racial disproportionality in the juvenile justice system.

VOTES ON FINAL PASSAGE:

Senate      48    0

House 95    0     (House amended)

Senate                  (Senate refused to concur)

House             (House refused to recede)

Conference Committee

House 98    0

Senate      48    0

EFFECTIVE:  May 16, 1991