BILL REQ. #:  H-4895.1 

READ FIRST TIME 02/07/06.   

     AN ACT Relating to a model policy for disclosure of sex offender information; amending RCW 4.24.5501; and creating a new section.

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

Sec. 1   RCW 4.24.5501 and 1997 c 364 s 6 are each amended to read as follows:
     (1) ((By December 1, 1997)) When funded, the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs shall convene a sex offender model policy work group to develop a model policy for law enforcement agencies ((to follow when they disclose information about sex offenders to the public under RCW 4.24.550. The model policy shall be designed to further the objectives of providing adequate notice to the community concerning sex offenders who are or will be residing in the community and of assisting community members in developing constructive plans to prepare themselves and their children for residing near released sex offenders)) and other criminal justice personnel. The model policy shall provide guidelines for sex offender registration, community notification, and strategies for sex offender management.
     (2) In developing the policy, the association shall consult with representatives of the following agencies and professions: (a) The department of corrections; (b) the department of social and health services; (c) the indeterminate sentence review board; (d) the Washington state council of police officers; (e) local correctional agencies; (f) the Washington association of prosecuting attorneys; (g) the Washington ((public defender association)) association of criminal defense lawyers; (h) the Washington association for the treatment of sexual abusers; ((and)) (i) victim advocates; (j) the office of the superintendent of public instruction; (k) the association of Washington cities; (l) the criminal justice training commission; and (m) the Washington coalition of sexual assault programs.
     The sex offender model policy work group, once convened, shall first conduct a series of community meetings around the state to assess the practices and needs of communities, identify best practices on sex offender registration, community notification, and strategies for sex offender management. Once the sex offender model policy work group has received input from stakeholders on a final draft of the model policy, the policy shall be presented to the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs for adoption or rejection. Following the adoption of a model policy, the sex offender model policy work group shall conduct a series of meetings around the state with local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice personnel to review the model policy and conduct training as needed. The sex offender model policy work group shall then be dissolved, and, when funded, the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs shall be responsible for the continued promotion of the model policy, including annual or biennial regional workshops with local law enforcement agencies and other criminal justice personnel to encourage sex offender registration, community notification, and strategies for sex offender management policies and practices that best fit the needs, characteristics, and risks of each community.
     (3) The model policy shall, at a minimum, include recommendations to address the following issues: (a) Procedures for local agencies or officials to accomplish the notifications required under RCW 4.24.550(((8))) (10), including the identification of best practices for community notification, as they relate to the specific needs and characteristics to each community and the risk posed to that community and including the identification of best practices for notification of a school and the community when a juvenile sex offender attends a school; (b) contents and form of community notification documents, including procedures for ensuring the accuracy of factual information contained in the notification documents, and ways of protecting the privacy of victims of the offenders' crimes; (c) methods of distributing community notification documents; (d) methods of providing follow-up notifications to community residents at specified intervals and of disclosing information about offenders to law enforcement agencies in other jurisdictions if necessary to protect the public; (e) methods of educating community residents at public meetings on how they can use the information in the notification document in a reasonable manner to enhance their individual and collective safety; (f) procedures for educating community members regarding the right of juvenile and adult sex offenders not to be the subject of harassment or criminal acts as a result of the notification process; ((and)) (g) procedures and documents for local law enforcement agencies to provide appropriate notification when a sex offender risk level is reclassified, including strategies to monitor the reclassification of sex offender risk levels by local law enforcement agencies; (h) formulas and instructions on standard sex offender risk assessment instruments; (i) strategies for sex offender management; and (j) other matters the Washington association of sheriffs and police chiefs deems necessary ((to ensure the effective and fair administration of RCW 4.24.550)) as it relates to sex offender registration, community notification, and management.

NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2   If specific funding for the purposes of this act, referencing this act by bill or chapter number, is not provided by June 30, 2006, in the supplemental omnibus appropriations act, this act is null and void.