BILL REQ. #: H-2084.1
State of Washington | 59th Legislature | 2005 Regular Session |
READ FIRST TIME 02/24/05.
AN ACT Relating to protecting dependent persons by changing the crimes of criminal mistreatment and abandonment of a dependent person; amending RCW 9A.42.010, 9A.42.020, 9A.42.030, 9A.42.035, 9A.42.037, 9A.42.060, 9A.42.070, and 9A.42.080; reenacting and amending RCW 9.94A.515; prescribing penalties; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1 RCW 9A.42.010 and 1997 c 392 s 508 are each amended to
read as follows:
As used in this chapter:
(1) "Basic necessities of life" means food, water, shelter,
clothing, and medically necessary health care, including but not
limited to health-related treatment or activities, hygiene, oxygen, and
medication.
(2)(a) "Bodily injury" means physical pain or injury, illness, or
an impairment of physical condition;
(b) "Substantial bodily harm" means bodily injury which involves a
temporary but substantial disfigurement, or which causes a temporary
but substantial loss or impairment of the function of any bodily part
or organ, or which causes a fracture of any bodily part;
(c) "Great bodily harm" means bodily injury which creates a high
probability of death, or which causes serious permanent disfigurement,
or which causes a permanent or protracted loss or impairment of the
function of any bodily part or organ.
(3) "Child" means a person under eighteen years of age.
(4) "Dependent person" means a person who, because of physical or
mental disability, or because of extreme advanced age, is dependent
upon another person to provide the basic necessities of life. A
resident of a nursing home, as defined in RCW 18.51.010, a resident of
an adult family home, as defined in RCW 70.128.010, and a frail elder
or vulnerable adult, as defined in RCW 74.34.020(((8))) (13), is
presumed to be a dependent person for purposes of this chapter.
(5) "Employed" means hired by a dependent person, another person
acting on behalf of a dependent person, or by an organization or
governmental entity, to provide to a dependent person any of the basic
necessities of life. A person may be "employed" regardless of whether
the person is paid for the services or, if paid, regardless of who pays
for the person's services.
(6) "Parent" has its ordinary meaning and also includes a guardian
and the authorized agent of a parent or guardian.
(7) "Abandons" means leaving a child or other dependent person
without the means or ability to obtain one or more of the basic
necessities of life.
(8) "Good samaritan" means any individual or group of individuals
who: (a) Is not related to the dependent person; (b) voluntarily
provides assistance or services of any type to the dependent person;
and (c) is not paid or otherwise compensated by the dependent person,
the dependent person's family, or the dependent person's estate in
exchange for the assistance or services provided.
Sec. 2 RCW 9A.42.020 and 1997 c 392 s 510 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A parent of a child, the person entrusted with the physical
custody of a child or dependent person, a person who has assumed the
responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities
of life, or a person employed to provide to the child or dependent
person the basic necessities of life is guilty of criminal mistreatment
in the first degree if he or she recklessly, as defined in RCW
9A.08.010, causes great bodily harm to a child or dependent person by
withholding any of the basic necessities of life.
(2) Criminal mistreatment in the first degree is a class B felony.
Sec. 3 RCW 9A.42.030 and 1997 c 392 s 511 are each amended to
read as follows:
(1) A parent of a child, the person entrusted with the physical
custody of a child or dependent person, a person who has assumed the
responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities
of life, or a person employed to provide to the child or dependent
person the basic necessities of life is guilty of criminal mistreatment
in the second degree if he or she recklessly, as defined in RCW
9A.08.010, either (a) creates an imminent and substantial risk of death
or great bodily harm, or (b) causes substantial bodily harm by
withholding any of the basic necessities of life.
(2) Criminal mistreatment in the second degree is a class C felony.
Sec. 4 RCW 9A.42.035 and 2000 c 76 s 1 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of the crime of criminal mistreatment in the
third degree if the person is the parent of a child, is a person
entrusted with the physical custody of a child or other dependent
person, is a person who has assumed the responsibility to provide to a
dependent person the basic necessities of life, or is a person employed
to provide to the child or dependent person the basic necessities of
life, and either:
(a) With criminal negligence, creates an imminent and substantial
risk of substantial bodily harm to a child or dependent person by
withholding any of the basic necessities of life; or
(b) With criminal negligence, causes substantial bodily harm to a
child or dependent person by withholding any of the basic necessities
of life.
(2) For purposes of this section, "a person who has assumed the
responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities
of life" means a person other than: (a) A government agency that
regularly provides assistance or services to dependent persons,
including but not limited to the department of social and health
services; or (b) a good samaritan as defined in RCW 9A.42.010.
(3) Criminal mistreatment in the third degree is a gross
misdemeanor.
Sec. 5 RCW 9A.42.037 and 2002 c 219 s 2 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) A person is guilty of the crime of criminal mistreatment in the
fourth degree if the person is the parent of a child, is a person
entrusted with the physical custody of a child or other dependent
person, is a person who has assumed the responsibility to provide to a
dependent person the basic necessities of life, or is a person employed
to provide to the child or dependent person the basic necessities of
life, and either:
(a) With criminal negligence, creates an imminent and substantial
risk of bodily injury to a child or dependent person by withholding any
of the basic necessities of life; or
(b) With criminal negligence, causes bodily injury or extreme
emotional distress manifested by more than transient physical symptoms
to a child or dependent person by withholding the basic necessities of
life.
(2) For purposes of this section, "a person who has assumed the
responsibility to provide to a dependent person the basic necessities
of life" means a person other than: (a) A government agency that
regularly provides assistance or services to dependent persons,
including but not limited to the department of social and health
services; or (b) a good samaritan as defined in RCW 9A.42.010.
(3) Criminal mistreatment in the fourth degree is a misdemeanor.
Sec. 6 RCW 9A.42.060 and 2002 c 331 s 3 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person
is guilty of the crime of abandonment of a dependent person in the
first degree if:
(a) The person is the parent of a child, a person entrusted with
the physical custody of a child or other dependent person, a person who
has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the
basic necessities of life, or a person employed to provide to the child
or other dependent person any of the basic necessities of life;
(b) The person recklessly abandons the child or other dependent
person; and
(c) As a result of being abandoned, the child or other dependent
person suffers great bodily harm.
(2) A parent of a newborn who transfers the newborn to a qualified
person at an appropriate location pursuant to RCW 13.34.360 is not
subject to criminal liability under this section.
(3) Abandonment of a dependent person in the first degree is a
class B felony.
Sec. 7 RCW 9A.42.070 and 2002 c 331 s 4 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person
is guilty of the crime of abandonment of a dependent person in the
second degree if:
(a) The person is the parent of a child, a person entrusted with
the physical custody of a child or other dependent person, a person who
has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the
basic necessities of life, or a person employed to provide to the child
or other dependent person any of the basic necessities of life; and
(b) The person recklessly abandons the child or other dependent
person; and:
(i) As a result of being abandoned, the child or other dependent
person suffers substantial bodily harm; or
(ii) Abandoning the child or other dependent person creates an
imminent and substantial risk that the child or other dependent person
will die or suffer great bodily harm.
(2) A parent of a newborn who transfers the newborn to a qualified
person at an appropriate location pursuant to RCW 13.34.360 is not
subject to criminal liability under this section.
(3) Abandonment of a dependent person in the second degree is a
class C felony.
Sec. 8 RCW 9A.42.080 and 2002 c 331 s 5 are each amended to read
as follows:
(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this section, a person
is guilty of the crime of abandonment of a dependent person in the
third degree if:
(a) The person is the parent of a child, a person entrusted with
the physical custody of a child or other dependent person, a person who
has assumed the responsibility to provide to a dependent person the
basic necessities of life, or a person employed to provide to the child
or dependent person any of the basic necessities of life; and
(b) The person recklessly abandons the child or other dependent
person; and:
(i) As a result of being abandoned, the child or other dependent
person suffers bodily harm; or
(ii) Abandoning the child or other dependent person creates an
imminent and substantial risk that the child or other person will
suffer substantial bodily harm.
(2) A parent of a newborn who transfers the newborn to a qualified
person at an appropriate location pursuant to RCW 13.34.360 is not
subject to criminal liability under this section.
(3) Abandonment of a dependent person in the third degree is a
gross misdemeanor.
Sec. 9 RCW 9.94A.515 and 2004 c 176 s 2 and 2004 c 94 s 3 are
each reenacted and amended to read as follows:
TABLE 2 | ||
CRIMES INCLUDED WITHIN EACH SERIOUSNESS LEVEL | ||
XVI | ||
XV | ||
XIV | ||
XIII | ||
XII | ||
XI | ||
X | ||
IX | ||
VIII | ||
VII | ||
VI | ||
V | ||
IV | ||
III | ||
Escape 2 (RCW 9A.76.120) | ||
II | ||
I | ||
NEW SECTION. Sec. 10 This act is necessary for the immediate
preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the
state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect
July 1, 2005.