S‑0361.1   _____________________________________________

SENATE BILL 5881

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Haugen, Long, Kline, Kohl‑Welles, Prentice and Constantine

Read first time 02/06/2001.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

_1      AN ACT Relating to capital defense assistance; adding a new

_2  section to chapter 2.70 RCW; and making appropriations.

_3  BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

_4      NEW SECTION. Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 2.70 RCW

_5  to read as follows:

_6      The director of the office of public defense shall, after

_7  consultation with the Washington association of criminal defense

_8  lawyers and the Washington defender's association, prepare and

_9  issue a request for proposal for services for the establishment of

10  a capital defense assistance center which shall be a nonprofit

11  corporation or an office within an existing public defender

12  association.

13      The request for proposal shall request information concerning

14  the experience, training, and certification of the proposed

15  service providers.  The selection of the service provider shall

16  not be based upon cost alone.

17      The capital defense assistance center shall:  (1) Assist trial

18  and appellate counsel defending persons accused of capital

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_1  offenses as sole or associate counsel; and (2) conduct training

_2  for defense counsel toward certification under the Superior Court

_3  Special Proceedings Rules - Criminal.

_4      NEW SECTION. Sec. 2.  (1) The sum of one hundred thousand

_5  dollars, or as much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated

_6  from the general fund to the office of public defense for the

_7  fiscal year ending June 30, 2002, to carry out the purposes of

_8  this act.

_9      (2) The sum of two hundred thirty‑five thousand dollars, or as

10  much thereof as may be necessary, is appropriated from the general

11  fund to the office of public defense for the fiscal year ending

12  June 30, 2003, to carry out the purposes of this act.

‑‑‑ END ‑‑‑

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