FINAL BILL REPORT

                  SSB 5214

                           C 76 L 95

                      Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description:  Making admissible children's statements concerning acts of physical abuse.

Sponsors:  Senate Committee on Law & Justice (originally sponsored by Senators Smith, C. Anderson, Winsley, Haugen and Kohl).

Senate Committee on Law & Justice

House Committee on Law & Justice

Background:  An out-of-court statement made by a child less than 10 years old describing a sexual act attempted or performed on him or her is admissible into evidence if the court finds that the statement is reliable and the child testifies.  If the child is unable to testify, there must be corroborative evidence of the sexual act before the statement can be admitted.

Summary:  The child victim hearsay statute is amended to admit testimony describing any act of physical abuse of the child by another that results in substantial bodily harm, as defined in the preliminary article of the Washington criminal code.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate    47 0

House     94 1

Effective:  July 23, 1995