CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT

 

                        HOUSE BILL 2672

 

 

                   Chapter 173, Laws of 2002

 

 

                        57th Legislature

                      2002 Regular Session

 

 

HIGH RISK OFFENDERS--TREATMENT PROVIDERS' LIABILITY

 

 

 

                    EFFECTIVE DATE:  6/13/02

Passed by the House March 11, 2002

  Yeas 96   Nays 0

 

 

              FRANK CHOPP

Speaker of the House of Representatives

     

 

 

 

 

 

Passed by the Senate March 2, 2002

  Yeas 45   Nays 3

             CERTIFICATE

 

I, Cynthia Zehnder, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is HOUSE BILL 2672 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

 

 

 

           CYNTHIA ZEHNDER

                          Chief Clerk

 

 

 

 

               BRAD OWEN

President of the Senate

 

 

 

Approved March 27, 2002 Place Style On Codes above, and Style Off Codes below.                 

                                FILED                

 

           March 27, 2002 - 8:53 a.m.

 

              GARY LOCKE

Governor of the State of Washington

                 Secretary of State

                 State of Washington


          _______________________________________________

 

                          HOUSE BILL 2672

          _______________________________________________

 

                     AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE

 

             Passed Legislature - 2002 Regular Session

 

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2002 Regular Session

 

By Representatives Kirby, O'Brien, Ballasiotes, Morell, Darneille, Lovick and Kagi

 

Read first time 01/23/2002.  Referred to Committee on Judiciary.

Limiting the liability of providers of treatment to high risk offenders.   


    AN ACT Relating to limiting the liability of providers of treatment to high risk offenders; and adding a new section to chapter 71.24 RCW.

 

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

 

    NEW SECTION.  Sec. 1.  A new section is added to chapter 71.24 RCW to read as follows:

    (1) A licensed service provider or regional support network, acting in the course of the provider's or network's duties under this chapter, is not liable for civil damages resulting from the injury or death of another caused by a dangerous mentally ill offender who is a client of the provider or network, unless the act or omission of the provider or network constitutes:

    (a) Gross negligence;

    (b) Willful or wanton misconduct; or

    (c) A breach of the duty to warn of and protect from a client's threatened violent behavior if the client has communicated a serious threat of physical violence against a reasonably ascertainable victim or victims.

    (2) In addition to any other requirements to report violations, the licensed service provider and regional support network shall report an offender's expressions of intent to harm or other predatory behavior, regardless of whether there is an ascertainable victim, in progress reports and other established processes that enable courts and supervising entities to assess and address the progress and appropriateness of treatment.

    (3) A licensed service provider's or regional support network's mere act of treating a dangerous mentally ill offender is not negligence.  Nothing in this subsection alters the licensed service provider's or regional support network's normal duty of care with regard to the client.

    (4) The limited liability provided by this section applies only to the conduct of licensed service providers and regional support networks and does not apply to conduct of the state.

    (5) For purposes of this section, "dangerous mentally ill offender" means a person who has been identified under RCW 72.09.370 as an offender who:  (a) Is reasonably believed to be dangerous to himself or herself or others; and (b) has a mental disorder.


    Passed the House March 11, 2002.

    Passed the Senate March 2, 2002.

Approved by the Governor March 27, 2002.

    Filed in Office of Secretary of State March 27, 2002.