SENATE BILL REPORT

                  SHB 2351

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

           Government Operations, February 26, 1998

Title:  An act relating to the address confidentiality program.

Brief Description:  Allowing victims of sexual assault into the address confidentiality program.

Sponsors:  House Committee on Government Administration (originally sponsored by Representatives McDonald, Costa, L. Thomas, Scott, Gardner, Linville, Hatfield, Benson, Keiser, Romero, Butler, Dunshee, Kessler, Kenney, Cooke, Mitchell, Cooper, Kastama, Dunn, Lambert, Constantine, Sullivan, Conway and Lantz; by request of Secretary of State).

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Government Operations:  2/26/98 [DPA].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS

Majority Report:  Do pass as amended.

  Signed by Senators McCaslin, Chair; Hale, Vice Chair; Anderson, Haugen, Horn, Patterson and T. Sheldon.

Staff:  Diane Smith (786-7410)

Background:  A program of address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence is established in the Secretary of State's office.  A participant in this program may use an address designated by the Secretary of State as her or his residential address, school address, or work address.  All first class mail that is delivered to the participant at the designated address is forwarded to the participant.

Records of the actual address of a participant may not be disclosed except to law enforcement agencies, by court order, or if the certification of the person in the program has been canceled.

The Secretary of State may designate state and local agencies and nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to victims of domestic assault to assist persons applying to be program participants.

A program participant may apply for on-going absentee voter and receive ballots in the same manner as a service voter.

Summary of Amended Bill:  The program of address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence is expanded to include victims of sexual assault.  No records in a participant=s file may be made available except for the address designated by the Secretary of State.

Amended Bill Compared to Substitute Bill:  Language is added clarifying what information about a participant in the program can be made available to the public.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested January 20, 1998.

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

Testimony For:  This is an excellent program from which victims of sexual assault could also benefit.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Margaret McKinney, Secretary of State=s office (pro); Michelle Sarruf, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (pro).