SENATE BILL REPORT

SB 5410

As Passed Senate, March 11, 2003

Title: An act relating to public information about registered sex offenders.

Brief Description: Revising information available on the statewide registered sex offender web site.

Sponsors: Senators Stevens, Eide, Keiser, Brandland, Reardon, Roach, Prentice, Regala, Rasmussen, McCaslin, Benton, Winsley, T. Sheldon, Schmidt, Esser, Oke and Shin.

Brief History:

Committee Activity: Children & Family Services & Corrections: 2/5/03, 2/14/03 [DP].

Passed Senate: 3/11/03, 48-0.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN & FAMILY SERVICES & CORRECTIONS

Majority Report: Do pass.

      Signed by Senators Stevens, Chair; Parlette, Vice Chair; Carlson, Deccio, Hargrove, McAuliffe and Regala.

Staff: Tony Rugel (786-7754)

Background: The Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC) administers a web site available to the public which provides electronic links to county operated web sites which offer sex offender registration information.

WASPC has developed, using private funds, a publicly accessible web site with information on all level III sex offenders in the state. The web site has mapping capabilities which can show, among other items, the offenders address, last name, and type of conviction.

Summary of Bill: Information on level II sex offenders, as allowed by law, is included on the web site. WASPC is also permitted to use funding from federal, state, or private sources to operate the web site.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

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

Testimony For: A power point presentation showing the operation of the sex offender web site.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: PRO: Tim Schellberg, WASPC; Julie Fischer, WASPC; Bob Rapp, WASPC.

House Amendment(s): The amendment would permit a law enforcement agency to post level II and level III community notification bulletins on the agency's web site for sex offenders who reside within the agency's jurisdiction and would not permit WASPC to use state funds to operate the web site.