SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 6488

As Reported By Senate Committee On:

Human Services & Corrections, February 7, 2002

Title:  An act relating to a statewide registered sex offender web site.

Brief Description:  Creating a statewide registered sex offender web site.

Sponsors:  Senators Costa, Long, T. Sheldon, Eide, Winsley, Hale, Spanel, Jacobsen, Rasmussen, Gardner and Oke.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Human Services & Corrections:  1/23/02, 2/7/02 [DPS].

SENATE COMMITTEE ON HUMAN SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report:  That Substitute Senate Bill No. 6488 be substituted therefor, and the substitute bill do pass.

Signed by Senators Hargrove, Chair; Costa, Vice Chair; Carlson, Franklin, Hewitt, Kastama, Long and Stevens.

Staff:  Tony Rugel (786‑7754)

Background:  Community notification of level II and level III sex offenders can be provided through newspaper notices, flyers, and information kept at a sheriff's department or police department.  A public website can be used in addition to current community notification procedures to provide citizens with relevant and necessary information for protection and to counteract danger created by a particular sex offender.

Summary of Substitute Bill:  The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs must create and maintain a website with links to county websites containing sex offender information.

Substitute Bill Compared to Original Bill:  The original bill required the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) to create and maintain a publicly accessible website containing information on level II and level III sex offenders.  The website was to be paid for by requiring sex offenders to pay a fee and to serve additional jail time if the fee was not paid.  The proposed substitute only requires WASPC to create and maintain a website with links to county websites containing sex offender information.  There is no fee to be paid by sex offenders and no additional jail time for nonpayment.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on January 21, 2002.

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

Testimony For:  There is wide support for the bill with the desire for some clarification in the following areas: how much information can be given regarding addresses; whether the local web sites will continue; and how much cost is involved.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  Cheryl Stephani, DSHS/JRA (pro w/concerns); Suzanne Brown, Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs (pro); Joseph Beard, Snohomish County Sheriff's Office (pro w/concerns); Sherry Appleton, Wash. Defenders Assoc./Wash. Assoc. of Criminal Def. Lawyers (pro w/concerns); Tim Schellberg, Wash. Assoc. of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (pro).