Brief Description: Prohibiting charging clerk's fees to law enforcement agencies for records concerning sex offenders.

Sponsors: Representative O'Brien.

Hearing Date: 3/1/05

Staff: Erik Van Hagen (786-5793) and Yvonne Walker (786-7131).

Background:

Superior court clerks collect fees on a variety of court filings. This includes fees for such filings as petitions for unlawful harassment, probate proceedings, initial filings in civil actions, a petition to contest a will, and others. A court may waive these filing fees if a party is unable to pay the fee. The revenue collected from these fees is divided between the State Public Safety and Education Account and the county or regional law library fund.

Local law enforcement agencies are responsible for notifying communities that a sex offender has moved into an area. The level of notification varies depending on the risk level of the offender.

Summary of Bill:

Public agencies are prohibited from charging a law enforcement agency for preparing, copying, or mailing records when these records are necessary for either a risk assessment of a sex offender, maintenance of a sex offender registration file, or preparation of a case for failure to register as a sex offender.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Requested on February 25, 2005.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.