SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5022

              As Reported By Senate Committee On:

                Law & Justice, February 5, 1997

Title:  An act relating to offender scoring while under supervision.

Brief Description:  Increasing offender scoring while under supervision.

Sponsors:  Senator Hochstatter.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Law & Justice:  1/23/97, 2/5/97 [DPS-WM, DNPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LAW & JUSTICE

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 5022 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass and be referred to Committee on Ways & Means.

  Signed by Senators Roach, Chair; Johnson, Vice Chair; Hargrove, Long, McCaslin, Stevens and Zarelli.

Minority Report:  Do not pass substitute.

  Signed by Senators Fairley and Kline.

Staff:  Mychal Schwartz (786-7444)

Background:  Under the Sentencing Reform Act, one point is added to an adult defendant=s offender score if the defendant was under community placement at the time of the current offense or offenses. 

Summary of Substitute Bill:  An additional point is added to an adult defendant=s offender score if the defendant was under community supervision, community custody or post-release supervision at the time of the current offense or offenses.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  Section 2 dealing with juveniles is deleted from the original version.  The language in subsection (18) is clarified by separating Acommunity placement@ into its individual divisions, community custody and post-release supervision.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 16, 1997.

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

Testimony For:   The issue is one of fairness and respect.  The type of supervision should not matter.  If an offender commits a crime while on any type of supervision, the offender should be punished.  The majority of offenders are not on community placement but rather community supervision.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Greg Zempel, Kittitas County Prosecuting Attorney (pro).