BP BHEAD INT H

AN ACT Relating to sex offenders; amending RCW 9.94A.030, 9A.44.130, and 9A.44.140; and creating a new section.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1. In order to eliminate a potential ambiguity over the scope of the term "sex offense," this act clarifies that for general purposes the definition of "sex offense" does not include any misdemeanors or gross misdemeanors. For purposes of the registration of sex offenders pursuant to RCW 9A.44.130, however, the definition of "sex offense" is expanded to include those gross misdemeanors that constitute attempts, conspiracies, and solicitations to commit class C felonies.

Sec. 2. RCW 9.94A.030 and 1994 c 261 s 16 are each amended to read as follows:

Unless the context clearly requires otherwise, the definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter.

(1) "Collect," or any derivative thereof, "collect and remit," or "collect and deliver," when used with reference to the department of corrections, means that the department is responsible for monitoring and enforcing the offender's sentence with regard to the legal financial obligation, receiving payment thereof from the offender, and, consistent with current law, delivering daily the entire payment to the superior court clerk without depositing it in a departmental account.

(2) "Commission" means the sentencing guidelines commission.

(3) "Community corrections officer" means an employee of the department who is responsible for carrying out specific duties in supervision of sentenced offenders and monitoring of sentence conditions.

(4) "Community custody" means that portion of an inmate's sentence of confinement in lieu of earned early release time served in the community subject to controls placed on the inmate's movement and activities by the department of corrections.

(5) "Community placement" means that period during which the offender is subject to the conditions of community custody and/or postrelease supervision, which begins either upon completion of the term of confinement (postrelease supervision) or at such time as the offender is transferred to community custody in lieu of earned early release. Community placement may consist of entirely community custody, entirely postrelease supervision, or a combination of the two.

(6) "Community service" means compulsory service, without compensation, performed for the benefit of the community by the offender.

(7) "Community supervision" means a period of time during which a convicted offender is subject to crime-related prohibitions and other sentence conditions imposed by a court pursuant to this chapter or RCW 16.52.200(6) or 46.61.524. For first-time offenders, the supervision may include crime-related prohibitions and other conditions imposed pursuant to RCW 9.94A.120(5). For purposes of the interstate compact for out-of-state supervision of parolees and probationers, RCW 9.95.270, community supervision is the functional equivalent of probation and should be considered the same as probation by other states.

(8) "Confinement" means total or partial confinement as defined in this section.

(9) "Conviction" means an adjudication of guilt pursuant to Titles 10 or 13 RCW and includes a verdict of guilty, a finding of guilty, and acceptance of a plea of guilty.

(10) "Court-ordered legal financial obligation" means a sum of money that is ordered by a superior court of the state of Washington for legal financial obligations which may include restitution to the victim, statutorily imposed crime victims' compensation fees as assessed pursuant to RCW 7.68.035, court costs, county or interlocal drug funds, court-appointed attorneys' fees, and costs of defense, fines, and any other financial obligation that is assessed to the offender as a result of a felony conviction. Upon conviction for vehicular assault while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, RCW 46.61.522(1)(b), or vehicular homicide while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug, RCW 46.61.520(1)(a), legal financial obligations may also include payment to a public agency of the expense of an emergency response to the incident resulting in the conviction, subject to the provisions in RCW 38.52.430.

(11) "Crime-related prohibition" means an order of a court prohibiting conduct that directly relates to the circumstances of the crime for which the offender has been convicted, and shall not be construed to mean orders directing an offender affirmatively to participate in rehabilitative programs or to otherwise perform affirmative conduct.

(12)(a) "Criminal history" means the list of a defendant's prior convictions, whether in this state, in federal court, or elsewhere. The history shall include, where known, for each conviction (i) whether the defendant has been placed on probation and the length and terms thereof; and (ii) whether the defendant has been incarcerated and the length of incarceration.

(b) "Criminal history" shall always include juvenile convictions for sex offenses and shall also include a defendant's other prior convictions in juvenile court if: (i) The conviction was for an offense which is a felony or a serious traffic offense and is criminal history as defined in RCW 13.40.020(9); (ii) the defendant was fifteen years of age or older at the time the offense was committed; and (iii) with respect to prior juvenile class B and C felonies or serious traffic offenses, the defendant was less than twenty-three years of age at the time the offense for which he or she is being sentenced was committed.

(13) "Department" means the department of corrections.

(14) "Determinate sentence" means a sentence that states with exactitude the number of actual years, months, or days of total confinement, of partial confinement, of community supervision, the number of actual hours or days of community service work, or dollars or terms of a legal financial obligation. The fact that an offender through "earned early release" can reduce the actual period of confinement shall not affect the classification of the sentence as a determinate sentence.

(15) "Disposable earnings" means that part of the earnings of an individual remaining after the deduction from those earnings of any amount required by law to be withheld. For the purposes of this definition, "earnings" means compensation paid or payable for personal services, whether denominated as wages, salary, commission, bonuses, or otherwise, and, notwithstanding any other provision of law making the payments exempt from garnishment, attachment, or other process to satisfy a court-ordered legal financial obligation, specifically includes periodic payments pursuant to pension or retirement programs, or insurance policies of any type, but does not include payments made under Title 50 RCW, except as provided in RCW 50.40.020 and 50.40.050, or Title 74 RCW.

(16) "Drug offense" means:

(a) Any felony violation of chapter 69.50 RCW except possession of a controlled substance (RCW 69.50.401(d)) or forged prescription for a controlled substance (RCW 69.50.403);

(b) Any offense defined as a felony under federal law that relates to the possession, manufacture, distribution, or transportation of a controlled substance; or

(c) Any out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a drug offense under (a) of this subsection.

(17) "Escape" means:

(a) Escape in the first degree (RCW 9A.76.110), escape in the second degree (RCW 9A.76.120), willful failure to return from furlough (RCW 72.66.060), willful failure to return from work release (RCW 72.65.070), or willful failure to be available for supervision by the department while in community custody (RCW 72.09.310); or

(b) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as an escape under (a) of this subsection.

(18) "Felony traffic offense" means:

(a) Vehicular homicide (RCW 46.61.520), vehicular assault (RCW 46.61.522), eluding a police officer (RCW 46.61.024), or felony hit-and-run injury-accident (RCW 46.52.020(4)); or

(b) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a felony traffic offense under (a) of this subsection.

(19) "Fines" means the requirement that the offender pay a specific sum of money over a specific period of time to the court.

(20)(a) "First-time offender" means any person who is convicted of a felony (i) not classified as a violent offense or a sex offense under this chapter, or (ii) that is not the manufacture, delivery, or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance classified in schedule I or II that is a narcotic drug or the selling for profit of any controlled substance or counterfeit substance classified in schedule I, RCW 69.50.204, except leaves and flowering tops of marihuana, and except as provided in (b) of this subsection, who previously has never been convicted of a felony in this state, federal court, or another state, and who has never participated in a program of deferred prosecution for a felony offense.

(b) For purposes of (a) of this subsection, a juvenile adjudication for an offense committed before the age of fifteen years is not a previous felony conviction except for adjudications of sex offenses.

(21) "Most serious offense" means any of the following felonies or a felony attempt to commit any of the following felonies, as now existing or hereafter amended:

(a) Any felony defined under any law as a class A felony or criminal solicitation of or criminal conspiracy to commit a class A felony;

(b) Assault in the second degree;

(d) Child molestation in the second degree;

(e) Controlled substance homicide;

(f) Extortion in the first degree;

(g) Incest when committed against a child under age fourteen;

(h) Indecent liberties;

(i) Kidnapping in the second degree;

(j) Leading organized crime;

(k) Manslaughter in the first degree;

(l) Manslaughter in the second degree;

(m) Promoting prostitution in the first degree;

(n) Rape in the third degree;

(o) Robbery in the second degree;

(p) Sexual exploitation;

(q) Vehicular assault;

(r) Vehicular homicide, when proximately caused by the driving of any vehicle by any person while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug as defined by RCW 46.61.502, or by the operation of any vehicle in a reckless manner;

(s) Any other class B felony offense with a finding of sexual motivation, as "sexual motivation" is defined under this section;

(t) Any other felony with a deadly weapon verdict under RCW 9.94A.125;

(u) Any felony offense in effect at any time prior to December 2, 1993, that is comparable to a most serious offense under this subsection, or any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a most serious offense under this subsection.

(22) "Nonviolent offense" means an offense which is not a violent offense.

(23) "Offender" means a person who has committed a felony established by state law and is eighteen years of age or older or is less than eighteen years of age but whose case has been transferred by the appropriate juvenile court to a criminal court pursuant to RCW 13.40.110. Throughout this chapter, the terms "offender" and "defendant" are used interchangeably.

(24) "Partial confinement" means confinement for no more than one year in a facility or institution operated or utilized under contract by the state or any other unit of government, or, if home detention or work crew has been ordered by the court, in an approved residence, for a substantial portion of each day with the balance of the day spent in the community. Partial confinement includes work release, home detention, work crew, and a combination of work crew and home detention as defined in this section.

(25) "Persistent offender" is an offender who:

(a) Has been convicted in this state of any felony considered a most serious offense; and

(b) Has, before the commission of the offense under (a) of this subsection, been convicted as an offender on at least two separate occasions, whether in this state or elsewhere, of felonies that under the laws of this state would be considered most serious offenses and would be included in the offender score under RCW 9.94A.360; provided that of the two or more previous convictions, at least one conviction must have occurred before the commission of any of the other most serious offenses for which the offender was previously convicted.

(26) "Postrelease supervision" is that portion of an offender's community placement that is not community custody.

(27) "Restitution" means the requirement that the offender pay a specific sum of money over a specific period of time to the court as payment of damages. The sum may include both public and private costs. The imposition of a restitution order does not preclude civil redress.

(28) "Serious traffic offense" means:

(a) Driving while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug (RCW 46.61.502), actual physical control while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug (RCW 46.61.504), reckless driving (RCW 46.61.500), or hit-and-run an attended vehicle (RCW 46.52.020(5)); or

(b) Any federal, out-of-state, county, or municipal conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be classified as a serious traffic offense under (a) of this subsection.

(29) "Serious violent offense" is a subcategory of violent offense and means:

(a) Murder in the first degree, homicide by abuse, murder in the second degree, assault in the first degree, kidnapping in the first degree, or rape in the first degree, assault of a child in the first degree, or an attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy to commit one of these felonies; or

(b) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a serious violent offense under (a) of this subsection.

(30) "Sentence range" means the sentencing court's discretionary range in imposing a nonappealable sentence.

(31) "Sex offense" means:

(a) A felony that is a violation of chapter 9A.44 RCW or RCW 9A.64.020 or 9.68A.090 or a felony that is, under chapter 9A.28 RCW, a criminal attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy to commit such crimes;

(b) A felony with a finding of sexual motivation under RCW 9.94A.127; or

(c) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a sex offense under (a) of this subsection.

(32) "Sexual motivation" means that one of the purposes for which the defendant committed the crime was for the purpose of his or her sexual gratification.

(33) "Total confinement" means confinement inside the physical boundaries of a facility or institution operated or utilized under contract by the state or any other unit of government for twenty-four hours a day, or pursuant to RCW 72.64.050 and 72.64.060.

(34) "Transition training" means written and verbal instructions and assistance provided by the department to the offender during the two weeks prior to the offender's successful completion of the work ethic camp program. The transition training shall include instructions in the offender's requirements and obligations during the offender's period of community custody.

(35) "Victim" means any person who has sustained emotional, psychological, physical, or financial injury to person or property as a direct result of the crime charged.

(36) "Violent offense" means:

(a) Any of the following felonies, as now existing or hereafter amended: Any felony defined under any law as a class A felony or an attempt to commit a class A felony, criminal solicitation of or criminal conspiracy to commit a class A felony, manslaughter in the first degree, manslaughter in the second degree, indecent liberties if committed by forcible compulsion, kidnapping in the second degree, arson in the second degree, assault in the second degree, assault of a child in the second degree, extortion in the first degree, robbery in the second degree, vehicular assault, and vehicular homicide, when proximately caused by the driving of any vehicle by any person while under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug as defined by RCW 46.61.502, or by the operation of any vehicle in a reckless manner;

(b) Any conviction for a felony offense in effect at any time prior to July 1, 1976, that is comparable to a felony classified as a violent offense in (a) of this subsection; and

(c) Any federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a felony classified as a violent offense under (a) or (b) of this subsection.

(37) "Work crew" means a program of partial confinement consisting of civic improvement tasks for the benefit of the community of not less than thirty-five hours per week that complies with RCW 9.94A.135. The civic improvement tasks shall have minimal negative impact on existing private industries or the labor force in the county where the service or labor is performed. The civic improvement tasks shall not affect employment opportunities for people with developmental disabilities contracted through sheltered workshops as defined in RCW 82.04.385. Only those offenders sentenced to a facility operated or utilized under contract by a county or the state are eligible to participate on a work crew. Offenders sentenced for a sex offense as defined in subsection (31) of this section are not eligible for the work crew program.

(38) "Work ethic camp" means an alternative incarceration program designed to reduce recidivism and lower the cost of corrections by requiring offenders to complete a comprehensive array of real-world job and vocational experiences, character-building work ethics training, life management skills development, substance abuse rehabilitation, counseling, literacy training, and basic adult education.

(39) "Work release" means a program of partial confinement available to offenders who are employed or engaged as a student in a regular course of study at school. Participation in work release shall be conditioned upon the offender attending work or school at regularly defined hours and abiding by the rules of the work release facility.

(40) "Home detention" means a program of partial confinement available to offenders wherein the offender is confined in a private residence subject to electronic surveillance. Home detention may not be imposed for offenders convicted of a violent offense, any sex offense, any drug offense, reckless burning in the first or second degree as defined in RCW 9A.48.040 or 9A.48.050, assault in the third degree as defined in RCW 9A.36.031, assault of a child in the third degree, unlawful imprisonment as defined in RCW 9A.40.040, or harassment as defined in RCW 9A.46.020. Home detention may be imposed for offenders convicted of possession of a controlled substance (RCW 69.50.401(d)) or forged prescription for a controlled substance (RCW 69.50.403) if the offender fulfills the participation conditions set forth in this subsection and is monitored for drug use by treatment alternatives to street crime (TASC) or a comparable court or agency-referred program.

(a) Home detention may be imposed for offenders convicted of burglary in the second degree as defined in RCW 9A.52.030 or residential burglary conditioned upon the offender: (i) Successfully completing twenty-one days in a work release program, (ii) having no convictions for burglary in the second degree or residential burglary during the preceding two years and not more than two prior convictions for burglary or residential burglary, (iii) having no convictions for a violent felony offense during the preceding two years and not more than two prior convictions for a violent felony offense, (iv) having no prior charges of escape, and (v) fulfilling the other conditions of the home detention program.

(b) Participation in a home detention program shall be conditioned upon: (i) The offender obtaining or maintaining current employment or attending a regular course of school study at regularly defined hours, or the offender performing parental duties to offspring or minors normally in the custody of the offender, (ii) abiding by the rules of the home detention program, and (iii) compliance with court-ordered legal financial obligations. The home detention program may also be made available to offenders whose charges and convictions do not otherwise disqualify them if medical or health-related conditions, concerns or treatment would be better addressed under the home detention program, or where the health and welfare of the offender, other inmates, or staff would be jeopardized by the offender's incarceration. Participation in the home detention program for medical or health-related reasons is conditioned on the offender abiding by the rules of the home detention program and complying with court-ordered restitution.

Sec. 3. RCW 9A.44.130 and 1994 c 84 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) Any adult or juvenile residing in this state who has been found to have committed or has been convicted of any sex offense shall register with the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence.

(2) The person shall provide the county sheriff with the following information when registering: (a) Name; (b) address; (c) date and place of birth; (d) place of employment; (e) crime for which convicted; (f) date and place of conviction; (g) aliases used; and (h) social security number.

(3)(a) Sex offenders shall register within the following deadlines. For purposes of this section the term "conviction" refers to adult convictions and juvenile adjudications for sex offenses:

(i) SEX OFFENDERS IN CUSTODY. Sex offenders who committed a sex offense on, before, or after February 28, 1990, and who, on or after July 28, 1991, are in custody, as a result of that offense, of the state department of corrections, the state department of social and health services, a local division of youth services, or a local jail or juvenile detention facility, must register within twenty-four hours from the time of release with the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence. The agency that has jurisdiction over the offender shall provide notice to the sex offender of the duty to register. Failure to register within twenty-four hours of release constitutes a violation of this section and is punishable as provided in subsection (7) of this section.

(ii) SEX OFFENDERS NOT IN CUSTODY BUT UNDER STATE OR LOCAL JURISDICTION. Sex offenders, who, on July 28, 1991, are not in custody but are under the jurisdiction of the indeterminate sentence review board or under the department of correction's active supervision, as defined by the department of corrections, the state department of social and health services, or a local division of youth services, for sex offenses committed before, on, or after February 28, 1990, must register within ten days of July 28, 1991. A change in supervision status of a sex offender who was required to register under this subsection (3)(a)(ii) as of July 28, 1991, shall not relieve the offender of the duty to register or to reregister following a change in residence. The obligation to register shall only cease pursuant to RCW 9A.44.140.

(iii) SEX OFFENDERS WHO ARE CONVICTED BUT NOT CONFINED. Sex offenders who are convicted of a sex offense on or after July 28, 1991, for a sex offense that was committed on or after February 28, 1990, but who are not sentenced to serve a term of confinement immediately upon sentencing, shall report to the county sheriff to register immediately upon completion of being sentenced.

(iv) SEX OFFENDERS WHO ARE NEW RESIDENTS OR RETURNING WASHINGTON RESIDENTS. Sex offenders who move to Washington state from another state that are not under the jurisdiction of the state department of corrections, the indeterminate sentence review board, or the state department of social and health services at the time of moving to Washington, must register within thirty days of establishing residence or reestablishing residence if the person is a former Washington resident. The duty to register under this subsection applies to sex offenders convicted under the laws of another state, federal statutes, or Washington state for offenses committed on or after February 28, 1990. Sex offenders from other states who, when they move to Washington, are under the jurisdiction of the department of corrections, the indeterminate sentence review board, or the department of social and health services must register within twenty-four hours of moving to Washington. The agency that has jurisdiction over the offender shall notify the offender of the registration requirements before the offender moves to Washington.

(b) Failure to register within the time required under this section constitutes a per se violation of this section and is punishable as provided in subsection (7) of this section. The county sheriff shall not be required to determine whether the person is living within the county.

(c) An arrest on charges of failure to register, service of an information, or a complaint for a violation of this section, or arraignment on charges for a violation of this section, constitutes actual notice of the duty to register. Any person charged with the crime of failure to register under this section who asserts as a defense the lack of notice of the duty to register shall register immediately following actual notice of the duty through arrest, service, or arraignment. Failure to register as required under this subsection (c) constitutes grounds for filing another charge of failing to register. Registering following arrest, service, or arraignment on charges shall not relieve the offender from criminal liability for failure to register prior to the filing of the original charge.

(d) The deadlines for the duty to register under this section do not relieve any sex offender of the duty to register under this section as it existed prior to July 28, 1991.

(4) If any person required to register pursuant to this section changes his or her residence address within the same county, the person must send written notice of the change of address to the county sheriff within ten days of establishing the new residence. If any person required to register pursuant to this section moves to a new county, the person must register with the county sheriff in the new county within ten days of establishing the new residence. The person must also send written notice within ten days of the change of address in the new county to the county sheriff with whom the person last registered.

(5) The county sheriff shall obtain a photograph of the individual and shall obtain a copy of the individual's fingerprints.

(6) "Sex offense" for the purpose of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330 means any offense defined as a sex offense by RCW 9.94A.030 as well as any gross misdemeanor that is, under chapter 9A.28 RCW, a criminal attempt, criminal solicitation, or criminal conspiracy to commit an offense that is classified as a sex offense under RCW 9.94A.030.

(7) A person who knowingly fails to register as required by this section is guilty of a class C felony if the crime for which the individual was convicted was a class A felony or a federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a class A felony. If the crime was other than a class A felony or a federal or out-of-state conviction for an offense that under the laws of this state would be a class A felony, violation of this section is a gross misdemeanor.

Sec. 4. RCW 9A.44.140 and 1991 c 274 s 3 are each amended to read as follows:

(1) The duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 shall end:

(a) For a person convicted of a class A felony: Such person may only be relieved of the duty to register under subsection (2) or (3) of this section.

(b) For a person convicted of a class B felony: Fifteen years after the last date of release from confinement, if any, (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to the conviction, or entry of the judgment and sentence, if the person has spent fifteen consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any new offenses.

(c) For a person convicted of a class C felony or an attempt, solicitation, or conspiracy to commit a class C felony: Ten years after the last date of release from confinement, if any, (including full-time residential treatment) pursuant to the conviction, or entry of the judgment and sentence, if the person has spent ten consecutive years in the community without being convicted of any new offenses.

(2) Any person having a duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 may petition the superior court to be relieved of that duty. The petition shall be made to the court in which the petitioner was convicted of the offense that subjects him or her to the duty to register, or, in the case of convictions in other states, to the court in Thurston county. The prosecuting attorney of the county shall be named and served as the respondent in any such petition. The court shall consider the nature of the registrable offense committed, and the criminal and relevant noncriminal behavior of the petitioner both before and after conviction, and may consider other factors. Except as provided in subsection (3) of this section, the court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register only if the petitioner shows, with clear and convincing evidence, that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330.

(3) An offender having a duty to register under RCW 9A.44.130 for a sex offense committed when the offender was a juvenile may petition the superior court to be relieved of that duty. The court shall consider the nature of the registrable offense committed, and the criminal and relevant noncriminal behavior of the petitioner both before and after adjudication, and may consider other factors. The court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register for a sex offense that was committed while the petitioner was fifteen years of age or older only if the petitioner shows, with clear and convincing evidence, that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330. The court may relieve the petitioner of the duty to register for a sex offense that was committed while the petitioner was under the age of fifteen if the petitioner (a) has not been adjudicated of any additional sex offenses during the twenty-four months following the adjudication for the sex offense giving rise to the duty to register, and (b) the petitioner proves by a preponderance of the evidence that future registration of the petitioner will not serve the purposes of RCW 9A.44.130, 10.01.200, 43.43.540, 46.20.187, 70.48.470, and 72.09.330.

(4) Unless relieved of the duty to register pursuant to this section, a violation of RCW 9A.44.130 is an ongoing offense for purposes of the statute of limitations under RCW 9A.04.080.

(5) Nothing in RCW 9.94A.220 relating to discharge of an offender shall be construed as operating to relieve the offender of his or her duty to register pursuant to RCW 9A.44.130.