H-4439.1  _______________________________________________

                          HOUSE BILL 2943

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      55th Legislature     1998 Regular Session

By Representatives O'Brien, Ballasiotes, Radcliff, Linville, Sheahan, Costa, Lambert, Dickerson and Gardner

Read first time 01/23/98.  Referred to Committee on Criminal Justice & Corrections.

Protecting privacy of criminal justice workers.

    AN ACT Relating to invading the privacy of criminal justice workers; adding a new section to chapter 9A.46 RCW; and prescribing penalties.

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

NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 9A.46 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A person is guilty of invading the privacy of a criminal justice worker if the person, without the criminal justice worker's permission, publicizes personal information about (a) an active or former criminal justice worker with whom the person has had contact within the scope of the criminal justice worker's employment or (b) the spouse or child of such a criminal justice worker.

    (2) Invading the privacy of a criminal justice worker is a gross misdemeanor.

    (3) As used in this section:

    (a) "Criminal justice worker" includes state and local law enforcement personnel, correctional officers, correctional probation officers, personnel of the department of social and health services whose duties include the investigation of abuse, neglect, exploitation, fraud, theft, or other criminal activities, and personnel of the department of revenue or local governments whose responsibilities include revenue collection and enforcement or child support enforcement;

    (b) "Personal information" includes home addresses, telephone numbers, social security numbers, and photographs.  For children and spouses of criminal justice workers, it also includes places of employment.  For children of criminal justice workers, it also includes names and locations of schools and day care facilities attended.

    (c) "Publicize" means the communication or dissemination of information to any one or more persons (i) orally, in person, or by telephone, radio, or television; (ii) in a writing of any kind, including without limitation a letter or memorandum, circular, poster, handbill, newspaper or magazine article, or book; or (iii) electronically, including by the use of recordings, computer networks, bulletin boards, or other means of electronic storage and retrieval.

                            --- END ---