SENATE BILL REPORT

                   HB 1361

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

               Law & Justice, February 15, 1996

 

Title:  An act relating to electronic facsimile transmission of arrest warrants.

 

Brief Description:  Authorizing arrest warrants to be served by facsimile transmission.

 

Sponsors:  Representatives Robertson, Costa, Cody, Delvin, Chappell, Hickel, Smith, McMahan and Honeyford.

 

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  3/21/95 [DP]; 2/15/96 [DP].

 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

 

Majority Report:  Do pass.

  Signed by Senators Smith, Chair; Fairley, Vice Chair; Haugen, Johnson, Long, McCaslin, Roach and Schow.

 

Staff:  Dick Armstrong (786-7460)

 

Background:  A warrant for a person's arrest may be sent to a law enforcement officer via telegraph or teletype.  An arresting officer who receives a copy of a warrant by telegraph or teletype has the same power to arrest the person as if the officer possessed the original warrant.

 

The statute that authorizes transmittal of warrants via teletype and telegraph is out of date and does not specifically provide for transmittal of warrants by electronic facsimile.

 

Summary of Bill:  Copies of warrants may be sent to law enforcement officers by electronic facsimile transmission.

 

Appropriation:  None.

 

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

 

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

 

Testimony For:  The bill will help bring law enforcement into the 1980s.  This process is already being used in many jurisdictions and the statute should be clarified.

 

Testimony Against:  None.

 

Testified:  Representative Robertson, prime sponsor.