CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                        HOUSE BILL 1546

 

 

                    Chapter 28, Laws of 2001

 

 

                        57th Legislature

                2001 Regular Legislative Session

 

 

STALKING VICTIMS--ADDRESS CONFIDENTIALITY

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  7/22/01

Passed by the House March 9, 2001

  Yeas 94   Nays 0

 

 

             CLYDE BALLARD

Speaker of the House of Representatives

     

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

 

 

 

Passed by the Senate April 4, 2001

  Yeas 47   Nays 0

             CERTIFICATE

 

We, Timothy A. Martin and Cynthia Zehnder, Co-Chief Clerks of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 1546  as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

           CYNTHIA ZEHNDER

                          Chief Clerk

 

 

          TIMOTHY A. MARTIN

                          Chief Clerk

             ROSA FRANKLIN

President of the Senate

 

 

 

Approved April 16, 2001 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.               

                                FILED                

 

           April 16, 2001 - 9:37 a.m.

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 1546

          _______________________________________________

 

             Passed Legislature - 2001 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Schual‑Berke, Campbell, Ballasiotes, D. Schmidt, Simpson, Conway, Keiser, Darneille, Kagi, Woods, Ruderman, Hurst and McIntire; by request of Secretary of State

 

Read first time 01/29/2001.  Referred to Committee on State Government.

Authorizing address confidentiality for victims of stalking.  


    AN ACT Relating to address confidentiality for victims of stalking; and amending RCW 40.24.010, 40.24.030, and 40.24.080.

 

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

 

    Sec. 1.  RCW 40.24.010 and 1998 c 138 s 1 are each amended to read as follows:

    The legislature finds that persons attempting to escape from actual or threatened domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking frequently establish new addresses in order to prevent their assailants or probable assailants from finding them.  The purpose of this chapter is to enable state and local agencies to respond to requests for public records without disclosing the location of a victim of domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking, to enable interagency cooperation with the secretary of state in providing address confidentiality for victims of domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking, and to enable state and local agencies to accept a program participant's use of an address designated by the secretary of state as a substitute mailing address.

 

    Sec. 2.  RCW 40.24.030 and 1998 c 138 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:

    (1) An adult person, a parent or guardian acting on behalf of a minor, or a guardian acting on behalf of an incapacitated person, as defined in RCW 11.88.010, may apply to the secretary of state to have an address designated by the secretary of state serve as the person's address or the address of the minor or incapacitated person.  The secretary of state shall approve an application if it is filed in the manner and on the form prescribed by the secretary of state and if it contains:

    (a) A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant has good reason to believe (i) that the applicant, or the minor or incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, is a victim of domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking; and (ii) that the applicant fears for his or her safety or his or her children's safety, or the safety of the minor or incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made;

    (b) A designation of the secretary of state as agent for purposes of service of process and for the purpose of receipt of mail;

    (c) The mailing address where the applicant can be contacted by the secretary of state, and the phone number or numbers where the applicant can be called by the secretary of state;

    (d) The new address or addresses that the applicant requests not be disclosed for the reason that disclosure will increase the risk of domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking;

    (e) The signature of the applicant and of any individual or representative of any office designated in writing under RCW 40.24.080 who assisted in the preparation of the application, and the date on which the applicant signed the application.

    (2) Applications shall be filed with the office of the secretary of state.

    (3) Upon filing a properly completed application, the secretary of state shall certify the applicant as a program participant.  Applicants shall be certified for four years following the date of filing unless the certification is withdrawn or invalidated before that date.  The secretary of state shall by rule establish a renewal procedure.

    (4) A person who falsely attests in an application that disclosure of the applicant's address would endanger the applicant's safety or the safety of the applicant's children or the minor or incapacitated person on whose behalf the application is made, or who knowingly provides false or incorrect information upon making an application, shall be punishable under RCW 40.16.030 or other applicable statutes.

 

    Sec. 3.  RCW 40.24.080 and 1998 c 138 s 4 are each amended to read as follows:

    The secretary of state shall designate state and local agencies and nonprofit agencies that provide counseling and shelter services to ((either)) victims of domestic violence ((or)), sexual assault, or stalking to assist persons applying to be program participants.  Any assistance and counseling rendered by the office of the secretary of state or its designees to applicants shall in no way be construed as legal advice.


    Passed the House March 9, 2001.

    Passed the Senate April 4, 2001.

Approved by the Governor April 16, 2001.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 16, 2001.