H-4313.1          _______________________________________________

                                  HOUSE BILL 2714

                  _______________________________________________

State of Washington              54th Legislature             1996 Regular Session

By Representatives Chappell, Chandler, Linville, Robertson, Chopp, Sheahan, Scheuerman, Brumsickle, Costa, Regala, L. Thomas, Silver, Cooke, Conway, Thompson and Basich

Read first time 01/17/96.  Referred to Committee on Law & Justice.

Redefining malicious mischief to include defacing property.

     AN ACT Relating to defacing property; amending RCW 9A.48.080; and prescribing penalties.

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

     Sec. 1.  RCW 9A.48.080 and 1994 c 261 s 17 are each amended to read as follows:

     (1) A person is guilty of malicious mischief in the second degree if he or she knowingly and maliciously:

     (a) Causes physical damage to the property of another in an amount exceeding two hundred fifty dollars; ((or))

     (b) Creates a substantial risk of interruption or impairment of service rendered to the public, by physically damaging or tampering with an emergency vehicle or property of the state, a political subdivision thereof, or a public utility or mode of public transportation, power, or communication; or

(c) Uses paint or other permanent marking medium to deface the property of another with any sign, symbol, slogan, or message promoting an organizational affiliation, any ideology, or racially motivated concept.

     (2) Malicious mischief in the second degree is a class C felony.

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