2281-S

AN ACT Relating to sex offender registration; reenacting and amending RCW 9A.44.130; and prescribing penalties.

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

Sec. 1. RCW 9A.44.130 and 1995 c 268 s 3, 1995 c 248 s 1, and 1995 s 195 s 1 are each reenacted and 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, or who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW of committing 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 UNDER FEDERAL JURISDICTION. Sex offenders who, on or after July 23, 1995, as a result of that offense are in the custody of the United States bureau of prisons or other federal or military correctional agency for sex offenses committed before, on, or after February 28, 1990, must register within twenty-four hours from the time of release with the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence. Sex offenders who, on July 23, 1995, are not in custody but are under the jurisdiction of the United States bureau of prisons, United States courts, United States parole commission, or military parole board for sex offenses committed before, on, or after February 28, 1990, must register within ten days of July 23, 1995. A change in supervision status of a sex offender who was required to register under this subsection (3)(a)(iii) as of July 23, 1995, 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.

(iv) 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.

(v) SEX OFFENDERS WHO ARE NEW RESIDENTS OR RETURNING WASHINGTON RESIDENTS. Sex offenders who move to Washington state from another state or a foreign country 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 or a foreign country, federal or military statutes, or Washington state for offenses committed on or after February 28, 1990. Sex offenders from other states or a foreign country 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.

(vi) SEX OFFENDERS FOUND NOT GUILTY BY REASON OF INSANITY. Any adult or juvenile who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity under chapter 10.77 RCW of committing a sex offense on, before, or after February 28, 1990, and who, on or after July 23, 1995, is in custody, as a result of that finding, of the state department of social and health services, must register within twenty-four hours from the time of release with the county sheriff for the county of the person's residence. The state department of social and health services shall provide notice to the adult or juvenile in its custody of the duty to register. Any adult or juvenile who has been found not guilty by reason of insanity of committing a sex offense on, before, or after February 28, 1990, but who was released prior to July 23, 1995, shall be required to register within twenty-four hours of receiving notice of this registration requirement. The state department of social and health services shall make reasonable attempts within available resources to notify offenders who were released prior to July 23, 1995. Failure to register within twenty-four hours of release, or of receiving notice, constitutes a violation of this section and is punishable as provided in subsection (7) of this section.

(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)(a) 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~~)) at least fourteen days ((of)) before moving. If any person required to register pursuant to this section moves to a new county, the person must send written notice of the change of address at least fourteen days before moving to the county sheriff in the new county of residence and must register with ((~~the~~)) that county sheriff ((~~in the new county~~)) within ((~~ten days~~)) twenty-four hours of moving. The person must also send written notice within ((~~ten~~)) fourteen days of the change of address in the new county to the county sheriff with whom the person last registered. If any person required to register pursuant to this section moves out of Washington state, the person must also send written notice within ((~~ten~~)) fourteen days of moving to the new state or a foreign country to the county sheriff with whom the person last registered in Washington state.

(b) It is an affirmative defense to a charge that the person failed to send a notice at least fourteen days in advance of moving as required under (a) of this subsection that the person did not know the location of his or her new residence at least fourteen days before moving. The defendant must establish the defense by a preponderance of the evidence and, to prevail on the defense, must also prove by a preponderance that the defendant sent the required notice within twenty-four hours of determining the new address.

(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 and any violation of RCW 9.68A.090 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 or who moves without notifying the county sheriff 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.