FINAL BILL REPORT

ESSB 6153

C 114 L 04

Synopsis as Enacted

Brief Description: Notifying home buyers of where information regarding registered sex offenders may be obtained.

Sponsors: Senate Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing (originally sponsored by Senators Prentice, Eide, Haugen, Winsley, Kohl-Welles and Kline).

Senate Committee on Financial Services, Insurance & Housing

House Committee on Financial Institutions & Insurance

Background: Current law requires the seller of residential property to provide a completed disclosure form about the material condition of the property. The disclosure form is limited to the title and things that affect the title including homeowners' associations, physical conditions of the property such as water, sewage, structural information, systems and fixtures, and problems or hazards affecting the property.

In recent years there have been ongoing efforts to increase the availability of information about registered sex offenders in the community. As of October 2003 there were 17,866 registered sex offenders in the community. Information about registered sex offenders is maintained by law enforcement and law enforcement agencies may disclose information that is accurate, relevant, and necessary to protect the public on request. The extent of the information released is based on the level of the offender's risk to the community.

Summary: The seller disclosure form for residential property includes a "Notice to the Buyer" that informs the buyer that information regarding registered sex offenders may be obtained from local law enforcement agencies. The notice also contains a statement that it is intended only to inform the buyer of where to obtain the information and does not indicate the presence of registered sex offenders.

Votes on Final Passage:

Senate       48  0

House       96  0

Effective: January 1, 2005